


Stop Making Tired Excuses

by midnightskies



Series: it's always darkest before the dawn [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Nervous Harry, Pining, Swearing, mention of rape, mention of violence, scenes not actually written only mentioned briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 18:28:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1909254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightskies/pseuds/midnightskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis hates many things; cold tea, countdown, tuesdays, and university, but most of all he absolutely, categorically despises Eric Davidson, current boyfriend of Harry Styles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stop Making Tired Excuses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bravepress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravepress/gifts).



> I mixed two of the prompts together, and included elements of each one in the fic because I liked them both and originally began planning two fics but decided to merge them instead as they were kind of similar.
> 
> Based on the prompt, 'harry's getting out of a bad relationship. louis tries to help him get through it' and 'university au. harry and louis are roommates, and louis really, really wants to drop out'.
> 
> Also, just imagine that all the boys are as they are now except they’re all the same age and 18 or 19 depends on where you are in the story, basically they’re all in their first year of university. 
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> Huge thanks to Ellen, my beta who has been absolutely amazing throughout, you can find her on Tumblr [here](http://www.famekink.tumblr.com) and you should really check out her fics [here](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Paynegerous/pseuds/Paynegerous), they're awesome
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at [fckuniall](http://www.fckuniall.tumblr.com)

When Louis finishes his shift on Friday afternoon he is almost certain that he would like to punch the person who ever thought that upping the cost of uni would fare well with students. It is with an extremely heavy sigh that he pulls his body toward the back room where his coat and beanie are thrown across the table next to the kettle. He picks them up and puts his coat on and pulls the beanie far down on his head, before exiting the shop, waving goodbye to Angela as he leaves.

Louis walks with a huff, the seemingly long trek back to the student halls; just the thought of them makes his stomach queasy. They—him, Zayn and another boy, share a small flat type  _thing_. It is most definitely  _not_ a flat; if it were it would be a lot nicer and cleaner than it is now. If it were a proper flat, Louis wouldn’t feel so embarrassed when he bought people back, he wouldn’t feel like hiding his face every time he told someone his address. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he exclaims as he walks through the door to see Zayn lying happily on the sofa, a smug look on his face. “I’ve been slaving my arse away all day, and you’ve just been lying here on the sofa.”

Zayn just shrugs his shoulders and moves his head so that he could see around Louis’ body that was blocking his view of the TV.

Louis turns his body in retaliation to look at the TV, “ _Bake Off?_ ” Louis whines. “But, Zayn, we recorded that so we could watch it together, you twat.”

Huffing loudly, Louis places himself on the sofa so that he was sitting on Zayn’s legs, “Sorry, Lou. I couldn’t help myself,” he tries, poking Louis cheek in an attempt to get him to smile. “It’s just, have you seen Mary Berry’s face? I couldn’t resist.”

“You look like Mary Berry,” Louis pouts.

Zayn laughs loudly, “Not even offended.”

Louis continues pouting before looking at Zayn who was still in his pyjamas. “No,” he says. “That’s not fair, I’ve been to a lecture this morning, then straight to work and you’re telling me that you haven’t even gotten changed?”

Zayn brought his hands so they were wrapped around Louis’ waist and pulls Louis so he was lying down on the sofa. Zayn cuddles into Louis pressing a wet kiss on his cheek. “Lecture was cancelled; enjoying it while I can, babe.”

Louis huffs out a breath again and remains still while Zayn places the blanket over the both of them, “Well, you’ll have to rewind it back to the beginning to compensate for you being a shit friend and not even coming to visit me in work. I was so bored,” he pouts. “It was horrible.”

Zayn laughs and Louis’ feels his breath against his ear from where Zayn’s stomach was pressing against his back, his mouth right by Louis’ ear, “Whatever you say, princess.”

Louis turns his body so that it was facing Zayn, “Before we watch it, could you be a darling and make me a cuppa?”

Zayn rolls his eyes before pressing a kiss to Louis’ cheek and getting up then turning round to pull Louis up with him. When Zayn saw a confused expression etched upon Louis’ face he laughs slightly, “If I’m getting up, so are you.”

Louis huffs once again, but follows Zayn to the kitchen like a puppy. When they got into the kitchen Louis’ perches himself so that he was sitting on top of the counter watching Zayn as he flicks the switch on the kettle and gets out two mugs. He places the tea bags in the mugs and turns to Louis, “What kind of day is it?”

“No sugar, no milk.”

“Oh,” Zayn hums. “One of those days?”

Louis nods his head, pouting his bottom lip out just a little bit looking down at the counter. Zayn walks over to Louis slowly reaching out his hand and guiding Louis’ chin up so that Louis was looking him in the eye. “Are you okay?”

Louis shook his head, “I don’t even know anymore.”

Zayn stands with his body in between Louis’ legs and pulls Louis into a hug so that Louis can bury his head into Zayn’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?” Zayn whispers into Louis’ ear.

“Why am I even here?” Louis sniffs. “I’m not fucking passing this year, why am I bothering to waste my time?”

Zayn pulls out of the hug and grabs Louis’ hand in his own, “Hey,” he said. “You are absolutely wonderful, and Mr. Roberts can go and fuck himself. He is a proven arse who picks on students because he thinks he is better than them.”

Louis shrugs, “He only dislikes me,” Louis says sadly. “What did I do? He seems to like everyone else just fine; he has his head so far up Eric’s arse that he can probably see what Eric had for lunch.”

“Well no one likes Eric anyway,” Zayn chuckles. “It seems Mr. Roberts is the only one.”

Louis shakes his head. “Harry likes him.”

“Harry obviously doesn’t have the right amount of sense to see that his boyfriend is the biggest dickhead to grace the earth, who also equals the same amount of arrogance as Justin Bieber,” Zayn sighs. “What’s this really about? What happened today?”

“Nothing,” Louis mumbles.

Zayn sends him a pleading look, and Louis sighs looking down at where his hands were folding in on themselves. Zayn glances down at Louis’ shaking hands as well, and takes them into his own hands, gently stroking his thumb across Louis’ skin.

“Eric just said something today that pushed my buttons.”

Zayn hums, “And what would that be?”

“Nothing too hurtful, just said a few things about Harry. I don’t know,” Louis shrugs his shoulders. “I guess what he said just hit close to home.”

Zayn brings his hand gently up to Louis’ face and stroked his thumb down Louis’ cheek. “Eric is a prick, everyone knows it,” he whispers. “Harry is obviously blind to this, I know he is our housemate and we should look out for him but he is never home; I’ve met the kid like three times and you only the once. If Harry wants to keep wasting his time and effort with a dickhead then I’m sorry, Lou, but that’s his choice.”

Louis nods his head sadly. “You’re right.”

“God only knows why Eric is studying a fucking child care course anyway, I wouldn’t trust him within ten feet of my children.”

Louis chuckles, “What children? Fathering some children behind my back,” Louis gasps. “Zayn, how could you? And to think, I thought we would grow old and ride away into the sunset together.”

“Fuck off,” Zayn tells him, rolling his eyes, “You know, future, kids, some shit like that. We’re supposed to start thinking about it at some point.”

“I suppose,” Louis grins. “It’s okay, I already have the names, Louis Jr and Louise, perfect.”

Zayn smiles, “I pity your kids.”

“You’d be godfather or favourite uncle or whatever anyway,” Louis says smiling.

“Yeah?”

Louis grins, bringing Zayn’s hand to his mouth and placing a small kiss on the palm. “Yeah.”

“Well, I guess, I’d have to say the same for you then,” Zayn chuckles, patting Louis’ leg.

“I’d be the best uncle,” Louis admits. “I’d take them everywhere they want to go, I’d have them stay over whenever they get annoyed of you and I’d give them all the sweets when you tell them no.”

Zayn rolls his eyes, “Best for them, maybe, worst uncle in my eyes.”

“You love me.”

Scrunching his eyebrows together, Zayn apparently contemplates this, before Louis brings his hand and whacks Zayn in the shoulder. “Ow,” he said, rubbing over where Louis had hit him. “Of course I love you, babe. Wouldn’t put up with your shit everyday if I didn’t.”

Louis grins and leans in to place a kiss on Zayn’s cheek, “I love you, too.”

Zayn smiles, his nose scrunching slightly before he grabs Louis’ hand pulling him down off the counter and grabbing his waist. “Come on, Mary Berry awaits.”

They both leave the kitchen to settle on the sofa again, their tea long forgotten about.

** 

Louis met Zayn when he first came to uni, when his mum came to help him put his stuff in the flat and they had walked in to find some kind of Greek God lying on the sofa, Louis’ breath had fallen short. The boy—or model, Louis couldn’t decide stood up to introduce himself as Zayn. They had been best friends ever since Louis’ Spiderman poster had fallen out of the bag his mother was holding, and Zayn thought he was the coolest person on campus.

Originally there was two other boys in the flat, but one dropped out within the first month—Louis wished he was that intelligent to drop out. The other one, Harry, never really showed his face much. Louis thinks he is shy but Zayn thinks that he is just scared of Louis.

There had been this one time, just one week into the second month where Louis had been up early, God only knows why, and gone into their kitchen to see Harry swaying his hips in time with the beat he was humming. Louis stood there in the doorframe observing for a moment, a small chuckle escaping his lips, he walked toward by where Harry was making tea and laughed again.

Harry jumped,  _literally_  jumped about ten feet, the mug he was holding in his hands been thrown up in the air, only to land hot tea all over Louis’ top.

“Oh goodness,” Harry whispered, he had quickly walked over and got some kitchen towels out from under the sink and ran back over to Louis. He began dabbing the tissue against Louis’ top. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Louis had brought his hands up and placed them gently over Harry’s shaking ones on his top, “It’s okay,” he reassured Harry. “My mum once said that I drink so much tea that one day I’ll turn into a cuppa, having it all down me, I think I’m about half way there, what do you think?”

Harry let out a shaky chuckle, still dabbing Louis’ top despite Louis’ attempt to keep his hands still. Louis removed his hands from Harry’s and Harry cowered. Scrunching his eyebrows Louis ran his hand down Harry’s face, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Harry closed his eyes nodding, “I didn’t mean—I mean, I, you—I don’t think you’ll hurt me.” Harry spoke fast, struggling to get his words right.

“Hey,” Louis ran his hands down Harry’s arm. “It’s okay, calm down.”

“I just don’t want to say the wrong thing.”

“You say whatever you want to say,” Louis had told him.

Harry looked up at Louis with wide eyes, like he’d just realised that the earth was actually spinning at 1, 040 miles per hour. “I, uh,” he hesitated, stepping back and pointing at the door. “I, um, have to, uh, go.”

Harry stood away and walked quickly toward the door, leaving a shocked Louis behind, and before Louis knew it Harry had walked out of the front door.

“Wait,” Louis called after him, “You’re not even wearing shoes.”

But—it was pointless, Harry didn’t hear him, he was long gone. 

** 

That was two months ago, and Zayn and Louis have barely seen Harry since, which Louis concludes meant that the flat – or whatever it was, was theirs to do as they pleased. That meant that their ‘wild’ Saturday nights could be spent with the two of them cuddled up together on the sofa, watching the TV, and eating as many biscuits as they could stomach.

This Saturday night was no different. It had just gone eight, which meant that the pizza had just been ordered – despite the somewhat strain on their living costs the pair always saved money for pizza. Well they had quite a bit more money than most considering they weren’t out every weekend, and also considering the fact that their student loans didn’t needed to be paid back until after they had proper jobs. They put the money they earned towards living costs and the odd night out.

Louis himself was also saving, he wasn’t sure what he was saving for yet, but he was saving. Putting aside money on every payday, for something great.

“Zayn?” Zayn hums in acknowledgement, rubbing his thumb slightly over Louis’ hip. “We’re living together next year, right?”

“Without a shadow of a doubt,” Zayn breaths, his face right next to Louis’.

Louis sighs, “But, what if I don’t stay on next year, what if I just decide to pack up and leave?”

“Then you’re a shit best friend, abandoning me in this hell.” Louis looks up at Zayn with wide eyes. “I’m joking, babe, don’t panic. If you really do decide to leave, then I won’t stop you. I know how much you’re hating this year.”

“I’m just shit at everything,” Louis admits, looking down to his feet.

Zayn shakes his head in disagreement. “You’re not shit.”

“I am,” Louis argues. “I barely scraped my way through my A-Levels, I don’t even know why I thought it was wise to come to university. I’m just throwing away money.”

Zayn leans forward, Louis falling slightly from where he was leaning against Zayn. Zayn grabs Louis shoulders so that Louis was looking at him right in the eyes. “Why did you want to come to uni?”

Louis shrugs, “Because everyone else was doing it.”

“Really? I don’t believe you,” Zayn says raising his eyebrows.

“I don’t know, it seemed like a better idea than staying home and doing fuck all,” Louis sighs. “Everyone always says their experience at university is the best thing, the thing that you tell your kids and your grandkids. That university is a rite of passage, and nothing can compare to your days here. I don’t think they’re right.” 

Zayn chuckles slightly, “Everyone always exaggerates what they want to be true,” he brings his hand up and running it slowly through Louis’ hair. “Life is shit, Lou, and if enough people jump on the bandwagon and say university is better than working an eight hour shift everyday until you die, soon enough the statement will be repeated so much that people start to believe it. I guess university is that final thing between being a kid and being an adult; university is the last piece of education before the eight-hour shifts. Most people just want to enjoy their supposed freedom while it lasts.”

“Since when did you get so smart?” Louis laughs.

Zayn gasps and holds his hand over his hand, “I’m hurt,” he exclaims. “I’ve always been smart.”

Louis rolls his eyes, “Yes,” he hums. “I guess you’re not an art major for nothing.”

“I work very hard on my art,” Zayn states. “It’s what I enjoy doing and if you don’t get a job you enjoy you’re fucked, so I thought I better study something I enjoy, so I don’t start hating my life too early.”

Louis nods, “Good thing you’re brilliant at it,” he sighs. “I don’t even know what I like, so I don’t know what I want to do.”

“Well, I mean you like Harry Styles but you cannot have that as a job, or could you?” Zayn says wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“I do  _not_  like Harry Styles,” Louis says scrunching his eyebrows together.

“Does little Louis have a crush?” Zayn questions poking Louis’ cheek, only for his hand to be slapped away by Louis.

Louis stands up from the sofa and looks back at Zayn, “I do  _not_ ,” he stresses. “I don’t even know him, don’t be a prick.”

Louis walks out of the lounge and away from Zayn, when he gets into the kitchen he flicks the switch on the kettle and gets out two mugs. Zayn follows him and stands in the doorway, watching Louis move around the kitchen. When Louis stops and leans against the counter angling his head to the floor, letting out a breath, Zayn quietly moves behind him and wrapping his arms around him from behind.

“I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to upset you or anything, you know I just want you to be happy,” Zayn tells him.

Louis leans back slightly in Zayn’s arms, “I know you do,” he admits. “It’s just even more frustrating that Harry  _fucking_ Styles, with his perfect hair and green eyes is dating Eric. It’s completely infuriating.”

“I know,” Zayn sighs. “I thought you said you barely knew him anyway.”

Louis turns in his arms, “That’s the point,” he sighs. “I barely know my own flatmate and I’ll never get the chance because Eric is a possessive twat and doesn’t allow Harry out of his sight. I don’t know why he hasn’t suggested that Harry moves out of this flat entirely and moves into Eric’s, Harry barely spends any time here anyway.”

“I think Harry is just sticking to what he knows,” Zayn tells him, tucking Louis’ hair behind his ear. “Coming to uni can be daunting, Harry is clinging to that familiarity of home through Eric; they’ve been together since before uni so Harry is sticking to what he knows. I think he is scared, he’s scared of the change that university brings.”

“I guess you’re right, I just wish I actually knew the kid,” Louis says.

Zayn laughs slightly, “Princess, I’m always right.”

Louis pushes his way out of Zayn’s arms, “Fuck off with the princess shit,” he says narrowing his eyes.

Zayn grins, taking a bite out of a biscuit he took from the packet laying on the counter, “Never.”

Louis walks back over to the kettle rolling his eyes, he pours the water into the mugs with the teas bags in before leaving them for a moment, getting out the milk. “So,” he begins. “When are you going to find someone?"

“Don’t know,” Zayn shrugs. “Since that thing with Perrie went to shit, I haven’t really thought about relationships.”

Louis turns to look at Zayn, “You were only with her for like three months though.”

“I know,” Zayn says. “I don’t know, I just thought—I don’t know, I thought it would maybe be something, but I don’t know, man, relationships are shit, I don’t know why people bother.”

“Cause it makes the happy,” Louis suggests turning back to finish making the tea.

Zayn laughs, “Yeah, happy until they get fucked over and the relationship goes to shit.”

“Well,” Louis hums. “You and Perrie were over like three weeks ago, maybe we should go out next weekend, get you on the scene again.”

“Maybe,” Zayn says, taking the mug of tea Louis hands to him and wrapping his hands around it.

Louis grins nodding his head, before walking back into the lounge, Zayn following behind him.

**

The next week flies by and Louis has decided that he would like to curse the God who ever decided that when you wanted time to go slowly it always seemed to annoyingly speed up. See, Louis had been invited down to his mum’s house on the weekend, and he’d unwillingly accepted. It’s not that he didn’t like visiting his mum, he loved it. It’s just that—well, she was under the impression that university automatically meant a loving relationship with the hope of marriage and children.

The problem was, that Louis hadn’t had a serious relationship since he was around sixteen years old; he’d spent sixth form mainly fucking around just to spite his ex, who was unmistakably a  _twat_. David obviously hadn’t always been a major prick otherwise Louis wouldn’t have been with him in the first place. It’s just that he was so lovely and he even made Louis’ mother and sisters love him, then he fucked off out of Louis’ life when he decided that this gay relationship was merely experimentation or a ‘phase’ as he told Louis. He’d even tried the, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’, Louis had obviously kicked him in the shin and told him to fuck off and never speak to him ever again. Louis thought he was very kind that day.

But here Louis is, packing his small suitcase quickly because he really was late; he told his mum he’d be back in time for tea, but he didn’t think that he would get there that quickly. He feels that little bit more uncomfortable because Zayn is watching his every move from the doorway with a sight pout on his face, “Can’t believe you’re leaving me, you bastard.”

Louis chuckled slightly, turning around so he was facing Zayn. “If I do remember correctly, the invitation was open to you as well,” he says pointing an accusing finger at Zayn. “And you declined.”

“Yeah,” he tells Louis rolling his eyes. “I love your mum, but I’m kind of sick of her thinking we’re in a relationship.” Zayn says while walking into the room and sitting himself on the edge of Louis’ bed, he then begins to assist Louis in folding and packing the clothes, keeping his eyes trained on the suitcase, he continues. “I mean I’ve visited what, three times?”

“Four,” Louis corrects.

Zayn shoots him a look that is obviously telling him to be quiet without actually uttering the words, “Fine, four times. But, like last time I came down for Christmas and she made us sleep in like different rooms and your sisters were always giggling when we were in the same room,” he huffs. “I know we’re close and shit, and despite the fact you have the best arse I’ve ever seen, I wouldn’t go near you to be honest, mate.”

Louis gasps, “And why would that be?”

“I didn’t mean any offence or anything, it’s just like, we’re brothers right?” Louis nods. “Brothers don’t fuck. It’d just be weird, like—I don’t know, man, can’t even imagine it.”

Letting out a small laugh, Louis places his hand on Zayn’s thigh and begins rubbing it up higher and higher until Zayn pushes his hand away and jumps away from the bed. “Fuck off,” Zayn huffs.

“I’m just pulling your leg,” Louis says laughing watching as Zayn sits hesitantly back on the bed. “Couldn’t imagine myself with you, I don’t think you’d treat me right anyway, and we wouldn’t have the best relationship because I constantly want to punch you because you call me princess, and I don’t think that defines a healthy relationship.”

“What can I say, princess?” Zayn smiles. “You bring out the worst in me.”

Louis shoves him off the bed laughing as he falls to the floor; Zayn glares at him from his spot on the floor. “You’re the worst.”

“Oh,” Louis says mockingly. “Do tell me more of your troubles.”

“You’re fucking off to Doncaster and we were supposed to be going out this weekend.”

Louis stands up from the bed and offers his hand to Zayn, who instead of taking it as help to get up from the floor like a normal person. He yanks Louis down onto the floor as well and they lie next to each other, staring at the ceiling.

“You can still go out, you know,” Louis states. “I won’t be like jealous or anything.”

Zayn tilts his head to look at Louis, “I know,” he whispers. “Probably will go out, just be lonely about it.”

“Make new friends,” Louis says rolling his eyes. “Then I can be friends with them as well, I’m sick of it being just me and you.”

Zayn pushes his shoulder, “Excuse me, I think you’ll find that you are very lucky to have a friend like me.”

Louis looks down at where Zayn is leaning his chin on Louis’ chest looking up at him. “What type of friend is that?”

Zayn edges his head closer to Louis’ hand slightly where it is running through his hair. “Loyal,” he hums.

“You’re not a fucking dog, mate,” Louis laughs.

Zayn grins then leans up to lick Louis’ cheek, “I could be.”

“Fuck off,” Louis tells him rubbing his cheek in disgust. “Now, if you’ve quite finished, I have packing to do.”

They both stand up from the floor and Louis assumes that Zayn will just go back into the lounge but he stays with Louis and helps him pack. Louis smiles the entire time because Zayn Malik is quite possibly the greatest person to grace the earth, except maybe himself, of course. 

**

By the time Louis returns from his almost torturous weekend of questioning about any developments in his love life, he is just about ready to collapse onto his bed and sleep for the next year. When he gets back to home to their  _flat_  he feels almost betrayed that Zayn isn’t waiting there with a ‘welcome home’ banner, a tray of finger sandwiches and biscuits.  _Obviously_  Louis expects too much of Zayn as when he arrives there, there is not a single person in sight.

He huffs as he carries his heavy body to his bedroom; he pushes his suitcase to the corner of the room before throwing himself down on the bed. Louis closes his eyes and lies with his back against the mattress and decides to take a nap, and wait for Zayn to come home and explain himself.

Someone trying to quietly close the main door later awakes Louis, he rubs at his eyes and opens them just in time to see Zayn opening his door and peek his head in.

“Oh good, you’re home,” Zayn says happily.

Louis sits up in bed and folds his arms across his chest, “Yes, I am, and I didn’t even have anyone greet me when I got here.” he says moodily. “Where have you been?”

Zayn chuckles slightly, “I, uh, went out and I met someone,” he says looking down at the floor and rubbing the back of his neck.

Louis jumps off the bed and walks quickly over to Zayn; he takes Zayn’s hands into his own and leads Zayn to his bed where they both sit down. “You met someone,” Louis smiles gleefully. “Who?”

“It’s, um, well it’s nothing but—I don’t know, I want it to be something, so I uh, I don’t really know if I can say it like that, I maybe want to but, I don’t know I met a few people but,” he stops himself, looking down at the bed and toying with the bedding nervously. “I met  _someone_  who I would very much like to be someone special to me.”

“Fuck,” Louis breathes. “I leave for a weekend and you’re all fucking lovesick. Who is she then, do I know her?”

Zayn sighs, looking back up at Louis. “That’s the thing,” he says running his fingers nervously over his arm. “It’s not a girl.”

“Bloody hell,” Louis says. “You’ve only ever had girlfriends before, I know you were never opposed to the idea of a boyfriend but  _fuck_.”

“Is that okay?” Zayn asks nervously. “I mean, fuck Lou, he is just so special.”

Louis laughs a little, “Why would I have a problem with it? You know I’ve had both boyfriends and girlfriends in the past.”

“Yeah, I know,” Zayn nods. “Just checking.”

“Bloody hell, mate,” Louis chuckles. “I was not expecting this.”

Zayn looks down to his hands again, which are folding themselves in on each other. “Me neither,” he chuckles slightly. “He just, I don’t know, like I met him last night and it seems too fucking early but like he just changes everything. You know you hear those stories where like someone will meet someone and change their entire perspective on everything and they just change everything. He’s done that, he’s just come along and changed everything I thought I knew, and I’m perfectly fucking okay with it.”

“Shit,” Louis says, grabbing Zayn’s hands tighter.

Zayn looks up at him, “I know,” he whispers. “I’m pretty fucking scared.”

Louis opens his arms and Zayn falls into them, pushing to two of them back until their lying against the bed, wrapped up in each other. Louis runs his hand through Zayn’s hair slightly and kisses his forehead. “Don’t be,” he tells him. “What’s he like?”

“Where do I start?” Zayn questions chuckling slightly, and Louis wants to fucking kiss this person already because Zayn is radiating happiness and it’s about fucking time that Zayn got something great in his life, he most definitely deserves it. “His name is Niall,” he says sounding completely smitten. “He is Irish and he is majoring in music or something, he has this friend called Liam, who’s got massive arms. They both live with Eric. I know, I feel sorry for them,” Zayn says when Louis lets out a groan.

“How unfortunate,” Louis observes. “What else?” Louis questions looking up at Zayn whose eyes are sparkling.

“He knows Harry, quite good friends with him, I guess it’s because Harry spends most of his time with Eric, in their flat. He plays the guitar and piano, he is currently learning the drums and he fucking  _sings,_  Louis. He’s got a nephew called Theo who he is undeniably in love with, he really likes The Eagles and he’s invited me to see them with him in a few weeks,” Zayn beams looking at Louis, trying to stop an extremely wide smile that is threatening an appearance on his face. “I showed him some of my art on my phone and he told me he thinks I’m really talented, he told me he has a birthmark in the shape of a balloon behind his ear. He’s really funny and he thinks I’m funny as well, he’s blonde but it’s dyed; first because he was dared to but it turns out he actually liked it so he kept it. He plays football sometimes but he hurt himself last year and he’s kind of fucked up his knee, so he doesn’t play as much anymore, he says he’s been trying to teach Harry, but Harry’s not very good but he is slowly getting better. He is just really fucking brilliant,” he smiles widely.

Louis nods, stroking his hand down Zayn’s cheek, “He sounds it,” Louis moves his hand away from Zayn’s face and settles more comfortably in the bed and then pulls Zayn closer to him. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“He said the same about you,” Zayn smiles, kissing the top of Louis’ head on his hair. “That reminds me, there’s this bonfire thing next weekend, Niall’s going and he said Liam and Harry will be there, will you please come with me?” Zayn begs.

Louis furrows his eyebrows, “Bonfire?” he questions. “We’re not going to university in fucking California; we’re in England if you haven’t noticed where it is January and freezing.”

“I am aware,” Zayn chuckles. “Come on, it’ll be fun, Harry will be there,” he says wiggling his eyebrows.

“Ah, yes, Harry who’s got a boyfriend and whose boyfriend is likely to be there as well,” Louis mutters rolling on the bed so he was facing away from Zayn.

Louis lies there facing the wall for a moment before he feels Zayn wrap his arms around Louis and spoons him from behind. “Sorry,” Zayn murmurs.

“Don’t worry,” Louis says, shaking his head.

They both lie there for a while, listening to the quiet breathing of one another, Louis closes his eyes and he could quite happily drift off into sleep before he realises something. “Wait,” he says turning around so he is facing Zayn. “Why weren’t you here when I got home then?”

Zayn blushes, “I, uh, stayed out.”

“At Niall’s?” he questions as he closes his eyes once more, Zayn’s fingers running through his hair soothing him and almost lulling him to sleep.

Zayn nods his head, “But, like, we didn’t have sex or anything, we were both piss drunk and his place was the closest.”

Louis opens his eyes and looks up to where Zayn is lying slightly above him to see him bite back a smile. “It’s fine, Zayn,” he chuckles. “You can fuck him if you want, I don’t care, I know we’re close but we have never had sex and we are most definitely not in a relationship.”

Zayn glares at Louis. “That’s not what I meant,” he sighs. “I just don’t want him just to be a fuck, you know? Like I don’t want to mess it up or anything.”

“Okay, so you stayed there but you still weren’t home at four to greet me?” Louis questions.

Zayn brings his hand up to Louis hair and brushes it behind his ear. “We were getting to know each other,” he explains.

“For that long?” Louis asks laughing quietly.

“He is very interesting,” Zayn whispers blushing. “We woke up, and Harry had made breakfast so we ate and just all got to know each other, then Liam was going to meet up with his girlfriend and Harry went back into Eric’s room so it was just me and Niall until half five when I realised that you were getting home at four so I rushed home.”

“Bloody hell,” Louis states. “What happened to ‘relationships are shit’?”

Zayn just shrugged his shoulders, “Dunno,” he mutters. “Changed my mind.”

“I think it’s great,” Louis says running his fingers in patterns over Zayn’s arm, which is draped across Louis’ side. “Fantastic even.”

Zayn just smiles lopsided at him, “You coming next weekend then?” Louis scrunches his face and goes to shake his head before Zayn grabs it holding it still. “Please, you have to,” he begs.

“Why is that?” he questions, looking at Zayn.

“Told Niall you could meet him, and I told Liam and Harry you could meet them as well.” Zayn speaks bringing his finger to poke Louis cheek.

Louis rolls his eyes, grabbing Zayn’s finger and stopping it from jabbing him in the cheek. “I’ve already met Harry,” he stresses.

“Not properly,” Zayn tells him, linking their fingers together.

Sighing, Louis turns his body so he's lying with his back against the mattress and he is looking up at the ceiling, Zayn lays his body on top of Louis’, he places his head on Louis chest. “Please,” he begs, drawing on Louis’ stomach with his fingertips.

“Fine,” Louis huffs. “I’ll come to the stupid fucking bonfire.”

Zayn smiles, “Thank you,” he whispers in Louis’ ear before kissing his cheek. “I think it’ll be good, make friends with Liam, Niall and Harry.”

“This better not be some fucking ploy or something to get me and Harry talking or something,” he huffs. “Is it?”

Zayn shakes his head, “I just think Harry needs more friends. I don’t know, talking to him today,” he whispers furrowing his eyebrows. “There’s something not right.”

Louis looks down to where Zayn is looking up at him with his head placed on his chest. “What do you mean?”

Zayn sits up and looks down at Louis before looking down at his hands. “I don’t know, but there is definitely something not right there. It’s like he’s not happy but he is trying to prove he is, he was extremely defensive and dismissive when I mentioned Eric, even when Niall and Liam backed me up and said Eric was a dick and treated Harry like shit. He just denied it all but I don’t know I don’t pretend to be a genius at reading people but it was like there is something hiding or—I don’t know, something is just not right.”

“Oh,” Louis replies thoughtfully, he then brings his body up so he is sitting up as well, next to Zayn. “I guess we will just have to have a chat with him at the bonfire if we can.”

Zayn agrees before standing up off the bed and grabbing Louis’ hand, leading him into the kitchen where he begins to make dinner. They spend the rest of the night talking about Niall and about Louis’ visit home, not once again bringing up the topic of Eric and Harry. 

**

“Louis!” Zayn shouts. “Get your shit together, we have to go and meet Niall!”

Louis rolls his eyes from where he is sat on his bed tying up the laces on his Vans. After he’s tied his laces he checks his watch and huffs out a breath when he sees that they still have twenty minutes until they have to meet Niall. He sighs slightly as he grabs his wallet and phone from the side—what do you even need to go to a bonfire? Louis has no idea.

He walked down the stairs carefully avoiding the extremely creaky step at the bottom; he quietly walks into the kitchen hoping to sneak up on Zayn. When he approaches the kitchen however, he notices Zayn pacing around the kitchen, picking up and putting down glasses. Louis shuffles over to where Zayn is facing the sink and consequently facing away from Louis. As soon as Louis is right behind him, he wraps his arms around Zayn’s waist from behind and stands slightly on his tip toes so that he can rest his chin on Zayn’s shoulder, he brings his hands from around Zayn’s waist and grabs Zayn’s hands in his own.

“Hey,” Louis says rubbing his fingers over the tattoo on Zayn’s wrist. “What’s wrong?”

Zayn shrugs his shoulders and nudges Louis head slightly as he does, “Dunno, just a bit nervous.”

Louis steps back, allowing Zayn to turn to face him. He takes in Zayn’s appearance hoping that he is dressed correctly for a bonfire. Zayn is wearing jeans, a plaid shirt and he’s also got a jacket wrapped around his shoulders. Louis himself doesn’t look too different, he is wearing black jeans, and a random t-shirt he found in the bottom of his chest of drawers and also decided to throw on his denim jacket. He also plans to take a coat and he hopes Zayn does as well because it is January and bloody freezing.

“Babe,” Louis says as he places his hands on Zayn’s face and brings it up so he is looking Louis in the eyes. “You’re a catch, Niall already knows that, it’s going to be fine.”

Zayn nodded his head; “I was drunk when I met him, though. I had liquid courage.”

“And you’re just as brilliant without it,” he whispers stroking down Zayn’s cheek. “Niall’s a twat if he doesn’t see that.”

Laughing slightly, Zayn nudges Louis hands away from his face and goes to grab their coats from the rack and hands Louis his, Louis smiles as he takes it in his hands. He then reaches over Zayn to grab his scarf, hat and gloves and shoves them in his coat pocket, he laughs slightly as he watches Zayn roll his eyes before doing the same.

They exit the flat, putting their coats on when they hit the bitter air, Louis locks the door behind them and they begin the walk to the corner shop where they are supposed to be meeting Niall. They walk quietly wrapping their coats even tighter around themselves through the cold night, before they approach the shop where they see a group of four people.

When one of them catches sight of Louis and Zayn, they alert the others who turn. The blonde one—Niall, walks over with a wide grin on his face and greets Zayn with an extremely tight hug and a very timid kiss on the cheek. “Hey,” Louis hears Zayn whisper as he tries to recover from the kiss.

“You must be Louis,” Niall announces, turning away from a blushing Zayn toward Louis. “Great to meet you, mate.”

“You too,” Louis says, nodding his head. Niall scoffs before opening his arms and pulling Louis into a hug. Louis stumbles slightly shocked before laughing and wrapping his arms around Niall.

Niall pulls out of the hug, grinning, “Come on then, let’s meet the others.” Niall tells them as he grabs Zayn’s hand and intertwines their fingers before dragging him over to the others. Zayn looks back at Louis who rolls his eyes but follows laughing.

When he approaches he sees Zayn shaking hands with a girl who seems to be the only girl there; but the fact that she is wrapped around the other person who Louis doesn’t know and assumes is Liam, makes Louis think that this is Liam’s girlfriend that Zayn mentioned.

“This is Liam,” Niall says gesturing to the one with his arms wrapped around the girl and with the massive arms, just like Zayn said. Liam just him a nod and waves his hand slightly before wrapping it back around his girlfriend’s waist. “This is his girlfriend, Sophia,” he continues gesturing to the girl in Liam’s arms. She raises her hand and smiles widely at Louis and Zayn, they both nod their head smiling widely. Finally Niall gestures to Harry, who has a bandana holding his hair out of his face and a coat wrapped tightly around his body, his hands settled in his pockets. “And Harry, who you already know.”

“Hi,” Harry says looking directly at Louis, he takes his hand out of his pocket and holds out his hand. Louis looks down confused before he places his own hand in Harry’s and shakes it slightly; ignoring the warm feeling that erupts in his stomach.

“Hey everyone, I’m Louis,” he tells everyone but looks directly at Harry, trying but failing to persuade himself to look away.

Zayn nudges his side slightly distracting his attention, he looks toward the rest of the group who are looking at Harry and Louis expectantly, Sophia chuckling slightly behind her hand.

“Ready to go then?” Niall laughs his hand still gripped in Zayn’s, Louis nods his head then follows behind the group.

They somehow end up walking with Sophia and Liam leading the group, and Zayn and Niall walking in time with Harry and Louis but excluded themselves from the group due to their hushed whispers. Louis rolls his eyes looking at Zayn, bloody typical, Zayn begs him to go to the bonfire then ditches him for Niall – Louis is surprisingly proud of him.

“I, uh, think I should apologise,” Harry mutters walking in time with Louis but with his head angled to the floor.

Louis looks at Harry who stubbornly refuses to lift his head to meet Louis’ eyes. “What for?” he questions confused.

“You know, spilling that tea on you, I really didn’t mean to.” Harry tells him.

Louis rolls his eyes and laughs slightly; Harry turns to look at him with his brows furrowed. “Look, love,” Louis begins. “You don’t even need to apologise for that. My fault really, shouldn’t have snuck up on you.”

Harry just shakes his head, turning his head so he is facing forward again. “Eric always says I’m too clumsy,” he sighs. “I guess it’s something I should work on.”

Louis slows his walking down slightly and Harry turns back to him confused and stops himself. Louis looks up at Harry confused and opens his mouth a few times but no words seem to be spoken.

“What?” Harry questions, biting his lip.

Louis shakes his head a few times before beginning to walk again, with Harry walking at his side. “I, I’m just confused,” Louis confesses. When Louis glances at Harry and sees his confused look he continues, “You shouldn’t have to work on it. So what if you’re fucking clumsy, who cares? You shouldn’t change yourself for anyone.”

“I, uh, I guess,” Harry says cautiously. “Just Eric mentioned that me stumbling and stuff was a bit annoying and distracting sometimes. He says that my legs are too long and I don’t know how to control them,” he chuckles. “But he said that I should really learn; like I’m eighteen, I shouldn’t be stumbling around like a child who’s just learnt to walk, I get it though.”

Louis looks at him with his eyebrows raised, and he decides that he doesn’t just fucking hate Eric, he bloody  _detests_  him and he really hopes that something bad happens to him because he deserves it for treating Harry like this. Louis is seriously contemplating going to find Eric and kick him in the balls for even making Harry think that he needs to change himself in order to be in a good relationship with someone who deserves nothing anyway.

Louis sighs, urging himself to stop imagining Eric’s painful death in his head and looks at Harry. Harry is looking at the floor biting his lip harshly between his teeth and his face looking confused and just plainly sad. Louis can’t even bare it, he looks like a bloody kicked puppy, so he hesitantly wraps his arm around Harry’s shoulder somewhat glad that Harry only really has about an inch on him. Harry flinches for a moment before looking at Louis with wide eyes, Louis grabs Harry’s chin and looks him directly in the eye. “Look, Harry, I don’t care what Eric says,” he raises his eyebrows when Harry goes to interrupt almost as a silent command for Harry to keep quiet. “Eric obviously doesn’t realise that you don’t need to change, okay?”

Harry nods uncertainly; Louis wraps his arm tighter around Harry before continuing. “No one, absolutely no one should feel the need to change themselves for the sake of another person. It’s not worth it, you’re you and if the other person doesn’t like it then screw them, they can’t pick and choose parts of you that they like or dislike,” he says seriously. Harry just nods his head the entire time, his eyes darting looking from left to right on Louis’ face. “I think your clumsiness is really fucking endearing.”

Harry smiles slightly and ducks his head so that it is resting on Louis’ shoulder. They both stop walking for the moment so that Louis can wrap both of his arms around Harry and squeeze him tightly to his chest. “I didn’t mean anything bad about Eric though, I mean I love him, and I—I can’t be mean to him,” Harry whispers into Louis’ shoulder.

Louis pulls himself out of the hug, “Just because you love someone doesn’t mean that everything they say or do is right.”

Harry just nods his head before gesturing that they continue walking to catch up with the others who are only a little bit in front of them. Louis catches Zayn trying to inconspicuously wrap his arm around Niall’s waist, Niall in return places a kiss on Zayn’s cheek. Louis thinks he can see Zayn’s blinding smile from here.

“So,” Louis begins as they continue walking, their steps in time with each other’s. “Zayn and Niall, what you do think?”

Harry looks at him grinning, a dimple which Louis had never noticed gracing Harry’s face. “I think they’re going to be great, I mean Niall deserves it, you know and Zayn is bloody brilliant so I just really hope it works out.”

“Me too,” Louis nods smiling. “You know, Niall is Zayn’s first boy.”

“No fucking way,” Harry says looking at him with wide eyes.

Louis nods laughing, “Yeah, Zayn was fucking bricking it when he told me, like he’s never been opposed to the idea and he’s never turned his nose up when I’ve brought guys back. I guess he had just never found the right boy to make him want to be in a relationship.”

“Fuck,” Harry breaths. “Niall’s going to be thrilled, he was so nervous earlier, I guess he’ll be happy to know he isn’t the only one who is scared shitless.”

Louis laughs and he definitely doesn’t internally freak out when his and Harry’s hand brush as they’re walking. “I’m glad it’s Niall,” he admits, letting out a breath into the cold air. “Zayn has always been so fucking cynical about love even though he is nineteen and frankly far too young. I just,” Louis breaks off biting back a smile. “I don’t know, seeing him after he met Niall, like he is already happier and I’m just so happy for him.”

“Niall had a boyfriend before, back home,” Harry explains. “Before he left for university, they’d been together for a while but like Niall wanted to come here for university and the boyfriend wanted to stay home. They didn’t want to hold each other back or anything, and they didn’t think they could cope with the distance, so they broke up.”

“Back home in Ireland?” Louis questions.

Harry nods, “Niall hasn’t had a boyfriend or girlfriend since he got here in September.”

“I guess they’re both pretty lucky,” Louis observes the two people in question walking ahead of them with their hands linked, swinging slightly in between them.

Harry smiles sadly. “Yeah,” he breaths with an almost longing, unhappy look on his face.

They get to the field not long after that, it was only up one smaller hill, when they approach the field there are already quite a few people there. However, there isn’t a crazy amount of people, Louis looks, taking everyone in and he concludes that there is quite a good amount of people here. Not too small of a group that he feels he has to make conversation with every person, but not too big of a group that Louis feels out of his depth, it’s a nice average sized group.

The six of them go and walk over to where the fire is already burning and sit down on some logs that have been set up around the fire. Louis looks at the fire burning in the darkness and wonders if this is even allowed, but he highly doubts that so many students would partake in something that could get them in serious trouble. Besides, it is more than likely that they’ve asked the university’s permission, if there were a few flyers placed around the campus.

Niall and Zayn offer to get everyone a drink, Louis just asks for a beer while Harry opts for a vodka and coke. As Louis watches the pair of them walk away, barely able to keep their hands off each other he wonders whether them offering to get drinks was genuine or just a trick to get some time away from the group.

Louis sits there on the wooden log quite awkwardly, looking around at the people and only recognising a few from his classes or from his student hall, he waves slightly at someone who he knows is called Ella. He also nods to someone else who lives down two floors from him—Jack? No, his name is James, or maybe Jamie, Louis isn’t certain.

Harry is sitting next to him folding his hands in his lap, shaking his knee slightly; Louis places his palm on Harry’s knee in an attempt to stop it bouncing. Harry looks up at him and he smiles slightly before sparking conversation with Sophia and Liam who are wrapped around each other and from the way that Sophia is almost sitting in Liam’s lap it is obvious they aren’t against public displays of affection. The entire time he is talking he keeps his hand on Harry’s knee and after a while it stops shaking under his hand and he smiles, turning to face Harry who smiles widely back at him.

After waiting for what feels like way too long for Niall and Zayn to return with the drinks, they both come back blushing and hair slightly scruffy. Louis rolls his eyes, but when he catches Zayn’s eye he can’t help but wink, and he seriously has to restrain himself from walking over and patting Zayn on the back. Thankfully, before he even has the chance to say something possibly embarrassing for both him and Zayn, Zayn and Niall walk away to apparently ‘socialise’ but Louis knows that they will both just go and find a quiet spot to continue kissing.

A little while later, Louis’ drink is almost finished and Liam and Sophia get up to walk around also, leaving Harry and Louis sat on their own. Harry turns to smile at Louis when everyone leaves before getting a scarf out of his pocket and placing it around his neck and takes a sip of his drink, which Louis observes is almost all gone as well. “So,” Louis begins awkwardly. “Where’s Eric tonight?”

Harry shrugs his shoulder, “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me,” he says dejectedly, looking down at his shoes, which are kicking the ground slightly.

“Isn’t that a bit weird?” Louis asks scrunching his eyebrows together. Not that he’d keep tabs if he were in a relationship but he’d at least be reassured to know where they were going if they couldn’t come out with him.

“Not really,” Harry replies shaking his head. “I mean, everyone is entitled to some privacy I guess.”

“I suppose,” Louis hums.

They fall into silence again before Louis looks up to the sky, which is completely dark except for all of the stars that are shining surprisingly brightly. Harry looks over at him and sees that Louis is looking up in wonder, he places his hand on top of Louis’ that is still resting on his knee, he then looks up at the sky himself.

“Did you know that on the moon, there is no wind or anything so everything just stays there, like forever, the footprints and stuff—nothing changes. Fucking brilliant, if you ask me. I wish earth was like that, just like nothing changed,” Harry tells him.

Louis looks at him in surprise but he is still looking up at the stars, Louis bites his lip between his teeth trying to hold back a smile. “Really?” he asks in wonder, taking a sip of his drink. “So like it just stays there forever?”

Harry nods, “Amazing, right?”

Louis sighs, turning back so he is looking up once more, “Yeah,” he breathes. “Pretty fucking amazing.”

Smiling, Harry looks at Louis for a seconds before turning back to look up just as Louis catches his eye and laughs. “You know, looking at these stars now, we’re literally looking back in time. Weird, ain’t it?” Louis nods his head. “It’s ‘cause the light from the stars takes like millions of years to reach earth so when we see it we’re like looking at how something looked thousands of years ago. People talk about travelling back in time like it’s impossible, but really all they have to do is look up at night and they’ll go back in time. I mean it’s not as glamorous as Doctor Who and bow ties or anything, but it’s still something.”

Louis nods his head looking at Harry, “Yeah it’s definitely something.”

Turning his head back to look at Louis, Harry smiles brightly scrunching his nose. “What?” he says when he notices Louis looking intently at him.

Louis shakes his head, “Just trying to figure you out,” he confesses. “Majoring in stars and space, are you?” he jokes.

Harry turns back to look at the floor, smiling and shaking his head. “No, journalism actually, or media journalism to be more specific.”

“Sounds disgusting,” Louis concludes, winking at Harry.

“No,” he says smiling. “It’s actually not bad, gets boring once in a while but everything does, doesn’t it? I get to write a lot, you know, it’s fun.”

Louis nods his head, “So lets see then,” he replies looking at Harry. “Posh lad, studying journalism, knows a lot about stars and you’re wearing a bandana in your hair. Not some type of hopeless hipster, are you?”

Harry lets out a loud laugh then places his hand over his mouth, like he is shocked he even made that sound, he shakes his head still laughing slightly. “I’m not hopeless,” he states mock offended, placing his hand over his heart.

“Just a hipster then?” Louis questions laughing and wrapping Harry’s hands in his own when he sees Harry shiver slightly.

Harry downs the remainder of his drink smiling, “No.”

“Okay,” Louis hums. “What’s the fascination with stars then?”

Harry looks up to the sky for a moment, seemingly thinking before turning back to Louis, a wide smile on his face. “Well,” he begins grinning. “Everyone sees them every night but not many bother to even learn about them, I just find them intriguing, like they’re just so fucking beautiful.” Louis smiles and agrees with him before letting him continue. “I actually went away with my family before, we went to this camping place and there was this one night, holy shit, it was fucking beautiful. I tried to take a picture of it, but you couldn’t with flash or without, you couldn’t capture the beauty of it properly and it was like our little secret. It was amazing.”

“It sounds it,” Louis says genuinely smiling, before finishing the rest of his drink.

Once he’s done, he stands up and holds out his hand and gestures for Harry to take it in his own. Harry smiles and places his hand delicately in Louis’ and Louis pulls him up so he is standing. They both walk around for a while before they find themselves over by where all the drinks have been piled up. Louis himself didn’t bring anything but he hopes the clanking in Niall’s bag when they were walking up was offerings. Harry then bends down and opens his backpack to take out a few beers and a bottle of vodka, and Louis concludes that his friends are awesome and he shouldn’t feel guilty for not bringing anything because he will just drink Harry’s anyway.

Harry holds out a can of beer to Louis, who takes it smiling, before Harry turns back to pour himself another vodka and coke. They decide to stand close to the fire for a while and they just enjoy each other’s company while both learning things about the other. After a while, someone comes up behind Harry and wraps their arms around him from behind. Harry lets out a squeal before turning around and jumping on the person, apparently attacking them with hugs.

After the pair has hugged enough they both turn back to Louis who is staring blankly at the stranger.

“Oh, sorry,” Harry apologises, though Louis isn’t sure why. “Louis this is Nick, Nick this is Louis.”

Louis nods at the tall stranger who he now knows to be Nick, “Hi, alright?”

Nick smiles and holds his hand out, shaking Louis’ when Louis places his hand in Nick’s. “Alright, mate.”

“So,” Nick says turning back to Harry. “Where’s the dickhead tonight?”

Louis looks at Harry confused before Harry huffs out a breath and glares at Nick. “I told you not to call him that,” he stresses.

Nick rolls his eyes, “Babe, we all know it’s true. Right, Louis?”

Louis looks away from Harry grinning and brings his drink up to his lips. “Who is that?” he asks innocently.

“Eric,” Nick states obviously.

Louis lets out a loud laugh, clutching his stomach and the corner of his eyes crinkling. “Sorry, Harry,” he tells Harry. “But, I’ll have to agree with Nick on this one,” Louis walks over and pats Nick on the stomach gently before smiling up at him.

Nick smiles, “See, told you, H. He’s a complete arse, I know I can be pretentious but it suits me and I have other good qualities to balance it out. But Eric is a twat and he is just completely horrible and unbearable, I don’t know how you can even spend ten minutes with him, let alone three years.”

Louis bits his lip slightly, edging closer to Harry and bringing his hand up towards Harry’s back and laying it flat on his back before bringing it down to squeeze his hip reassuringly. Louis frowns slightly when Harry flinches and steps out of his arms, but when Harry turns to look at him and raise his hand to secretly squeeze Louis’, Louis thinks it is okay.

“I don’t appreciate you talking about my boyfriend like that.” Harry says, glaring at Nick as he pulls his hand out of Louis’, almost too quickly.

Nick rolls his eyes letting out a sigh and looking at Harry almost like Harry is a child. “I wouldn’t have shit to say if you just had a nice boyfriend.”

“Look,” Harry tells Nick sadly. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it.”

Louis looks between the two of them and he almost gets the vibe that this is possibly something that happens on a regular basis. The fact that Nick is looking at Harry with almost a sympathetic glance, almost gives away the idea that Nick knows something more than he is letting on. Harry’s pleading look toward Nick is telling Louis that he is not telling Louis of this secret any time soon.

“So, Nick,” Louis interrupts their stare off, turning his body to face Nick. “What do you study?”

Nick flashes Louis a brilliant smile, “I’m doing joint honours, media journalism like Harry here,” he says nudging Harry to try and get him to smile again but Harry just frowns at the floor, refusing to look at Nick. “I also do radio broadcasting, was just going to do broadcasting but then I saw you could do joint honours so why not?”

Louis laughs slightly, “I guess so, you a hipster like Harry here?” Louis says, ignoring the pouting look Harry is sending him.

“Please,” Nick laughed. “Harry wouldn’t know how to be a dreadful hipster if I weren’t for me, right H?”

Harry just nods his head, looking at Nick through the corner of his eye, still refusing to meet his gaze head on.

“Fuck sake,” Nick huffs. “I’m fucking sorry alright, Harry. Sorry for stating the fucking obvious and actually looking out for my mates.” Nick quickly makes his exit, drawing a lot of attention to himself by not so gracefully barging through the people, knocking a few shoulders and huffing out apologies.

Harry just looks after him sadly, not making any move to go after him. “Sorry about him,” Harry says still looking at where Nick retreated.

“He just cares about you,” Louis replies.

Harry turns his head back to Louis, “Maybe,” he hums.

Louis grabs Harry’s hand and squeezes it, sincerely hoping that he is being reassuring, Harry just gives him a small smile before walking away and saying he is going to find Liam. Louis nods his head and lets him leave, he stands alone in the corner for a few moments before attempting to find Zayn.

He walks around for twenty minutes before he catches a glimpse of Zayn and Niall standing right by the fire, surrounded by many different groups but standing in their own little world. He smiles slightly observing the smile that apparently hasn’t left Zayn’s face all night. Zayn has his arms wrapped around Niall, his face cuddled into Niall’s neck, constantly pressing small kisses to Niall’s neck.

Louis bites his lip and sighs, putting his hands back into his pockets and steps back before deciding to walk back home. On his way home he takes out his phone to send a text to Zayn telling him what time he left and where he is headed. After he’s sent it he then sends another one telling Zayn not to worry and to have fun, because he knows what Zayn is like.

When he gets back to the flat he puts on his warmest pyjamas because he’s just been standing outside for two hours in the freezing cold, so he deserves it. He brings his duvet out onto the sofa so he can cuddle up on the sofa and watches  _Breaking Bad_ , waiting for Zayn to come home so that he can hear all about Niall. 

**

After the bonfire, Zayn seems to be gone more and Harry seems to be around a little bit more than before. He even spends a night or two in the bedroom he’s only slept in once despite the fact it is his own.

Louis isn’t bitter, he is  _not_ , he is happy because Zayn is happy.

But he is a bit lonely. Not that he and Zayn are completely co-dependent or anything, it’s just – it’s been three weeks since the bonfire and Zayn’s cancelled on their Saturday nights ever since. He is happy,  _ecstatic_ in fact, that Zayn’s got Niall and he has something, he’s deserved since the day Louis met him. It’s just, Louis never quite realised that Zayn being happy meant that he would spend all of his time away from Louis.

It just sucks.

Harry is there sometimes. Due to the fact that he is no longer scared shitless of Louis and Zayn, he’s decided to actually live at his assigned accommodation, but he’s only ever there briefly on weekdays. Although this means that because Harry is home more, he often brings Eric and Louis is thinking of holding a house meeting to get the majority to ban Eric. The only thing is that Zayn is never here and in Harry’s eyes Eric couldn’t put a toe out of line and the world is just unfair. Louis doesn’t care how young and stupid he sounds but everything is shit and he wants to go home.

That’s why he gets the next train home to Doncaster when Zayn fails to show up at their flat (Louis grimaces as he even thinks about calling it that) on Saturday when he’s already put  _their_  night off for the past three weeks, and him missing it for the fourth time is drawing the line, it’s putting the icing on top of the fucking cake or whatever other saying Louis can think of. It’s just not right, and it’s not fair.

He is sick of the same pizza delivery guy looking at him in sympathy when he sees that it is Louis who answers the door this time and not Zayn, like Zayn always does. Louis tries to ignore the sympathetic look the guy gives him when he doesn’t hear other people in the flat telling him to hurry the fuck up, like Louis used to do when Zayn would answer the door. Last week the guy even had the cheek to question Louis about why he was alone.

The guy had looked at him in sympathy and nodded his head into the lounge of their flat, which was empty, and the duvet clearly visible on the sofa. “Tough break up?”

Louis had just shaken his head handing over the money as quickly as possible, but before he could shut the door the guy had put his foot in the way and looked at Louis sadly before speaking again. “It gets better, you know? You two will figure it out, you’re practically joined at the hip.”

Giving the man a confused look Louis had just told him to kindly fuck off because him and Zayn were never dating and nor would they ever because Zayn had just gone off and found himself the perfect Irish boyfriend and no longer needed Louis, so who fucking cared anyway.

Louis didn’t miss the even sadder look the guy gave him before he sighed turning around. Honestly, Louis tried to be pissed off with the pizza man. He even vowed that he wouldn’t eat the pizza from there because that guy was trying to get involved in his personal life and he needed to back off. However, after glaring at the pizza box sitting on the coffee table for twenty minutes, Louis had caved and he grabbed the largest slice and shoved it in his mouth, loving the taste of the slightly cold pizza.

Now, a week later, he’s on the train home at nine at night with his headphones in his ears feeling sorry for himself and he doesn’t even care how pathetic he sounds. When he gets home it is just gone half ten in the night and it is pitch black and frankly Louis is a little scared that he might get mugged or something so he does a brisk walk-run type of thing all the way from the train station to his mother’s house, which isn’t too far away.

His mum answers the door cautiously, peeping her head around slightly with a timid, “Hello?”

Louis smiles and as soon as she sees that it is him she opens the door wide and opens her arms which Louis happily dives into, and  _no_  he most definitely does not snuffle slightly into her shoulder.

She pulls back from the hug with a concerned look on her face and brings her finger up to Louis’ cheek tapping it gently. “I’ll put the kettle on,” she calmly says. In that moment Louis swears he’s never loved her more, she just gets him – there is no overly sympathetic look on her face, she isn’t looking at him like the pizza guy did. She just knows what Louis needs.

They both walk into the kitchen and Louis isn’t even ashamed to say that he still has his hand wrapped loosely around her wrist. On their way through the hall Louis observes the quiet house, “Where’s Dan?”

“Twins woke up, so he’s up there trying to settle them,” she answers not even looking at him, and marching forward to get their mugs and the tea bags before flicking the switch of the kettle.

Louis laughs slightly, “Which twins?”

His mother turns to face him with a small smile on her face, “You’re a menace, you know that? Always have been, always will be. You know, I wonder if Ernest will be as much trouble as you are, wonder if it’ll just be my boys who cause trouble.”

Louis sits down at the kitchen table with a small frown on his face, leaning back tiredly in his seat. “Maybe it’s just me,” he whispers scratching the skin on his hand.

Jay walks over to the table and places their mugs down before sitting down herself and taking Louis’ hands in her own. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t know,” Louis shrugs. “Shit week, I guess.” Louis doesn’t even flinch when Jay swats his shoulder lightly and tells him to watch his language.

Jay sighs, brushing his hair behind his ear. “Has something happened with Zayn?”

Huffing out a breath Louis glares at her, “Not everything is about Zayn, okay?” he almost shouts, but remembers to keep his voice down slightly considering the almost sleeping house.

“I didn’t say it was, but he’s you’re best friend so I’d assume he’d be able to comfort you, and considering the fact you came all the way down here for comfort instead of finding Zayn makes me think something’s happened,” she explains brushing her hand comfortingly through Louis’ hair.

Louis looks up at her and pouts, “Zayn has a boyfriend.”

“Are you jealous?” she questions, sipping her tea with a small smile playing on her lips.

Louis shakes his head, “No,” he sighs. “Really happy for him, in fact. Niall is great.”

Jay looks at him for a long while, humming under her breath and taking a long gulp of her tea. “What’s the problem then?” 

“Lonely, I guess.” He tries to be nonchalant about it, but obviously he doesn’t succeed given the hug his mum pulls him into.

She kisses the side of his head where it is buried into her shoulder, “You’ll find someone.”

“What if,” he begins, but contemplates for a second trying to find the right words. “What if I feel like I’ve already found someone who is great but entirely out of reach?”

Pulling out from the hug she brushes his hair away from his face, “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant it be. Things have a way of working themselves out and you’ve just got to let that happen.”

Louis sighed, folding his arms on the table forming a pillow before resting his head there huffing out a breath. “I hate waiting,” he mutters.

“Don’t we all,” Louis’ mum laughs. She stands up from her seat, walks to the sink and pours what little she has left of her tea before she kisses Louis’ head and stands in the doorway.

He moves his head so he is looking up at her and she smiles. “I’m off to bed. Your tea might be cold now; if it is, warm it up in the microwave and take it up to bed with you. You room is set up like always, we can talk more about this person in the morning, okay?” she says, winking. “Right now I need sleep because the twins are completely draining.”

Louis stands up and walks over to pull her tired body into a hug, “Off to bed with you then,” he laughs pushing her toward the stairs. “Oh, and don’t worry about waking up in the morning. You and Dan have a lie in, I’ve got them all sorted tomorrow.”

“All of them?” Louis’ mum replies, shocked, blinking down at him from her position halfway up the stairs. Louis nods his head smiling, she laughs, “Good luck with that.”

Louis smiles slightly at her back as she turns to walk the rest of the way upstairs, he turns back into the kitchen and places his mug in the microwave smiling slightly at the new colourings on the walls. While his tea is in the microwave he walks over to the fridge and looks at the new pictures and colourings on there and smiles sadly at the fact that the colourings are perfect and have been ever since the twins turned six and couldn’t possibly colour out of the lines – how dare Louis even suggest that.

He traces his fingers lightly over the pictures of the new babies, ignoring the timer for the microwave when it goes off. He carefully traces his finger down Doris’ face in the picture where she and Ernest are curled closely together sleeping, no more than a week old, and smiles. Thankfully he was able to have time off when the twins were born and he came and stayed home for a week before heading back to university, reluctantly leaving behind his family. He wonders how much they have grown since, it’s not like his mother doesn’t send him updates every day, or that he doesn’t get pictures from his sister of her laying with her new brother and sister every other day. – It’s just that babies change so much, and Louis is quite jealous that he is missing so much.

Pouting, Louis walks away from the fridge and grabs his tea from the microwave, smiling when he notices the steam coming off it. He makes his way upstairs then, walking quietly on each step before getting into his room, and grabbing his pyjamas from his backpack. He changes quickly and settles into bed, wrapping the blankets around him, he even piles up some pillows around himself so that he feels less lonely – and he will never tell  _anyone_  that this day even happened.

**

Louis wakes up to a loud cry and it almost makes him want to curl over and bury his head under the duvet, but he remembers it’s his brother and sister who he hasn’t seen in almost a month. He jumps out of bed and walks carefully along the creaky landing toward the room in which the twins have only recently been moved to.

He looks down at both of the cots and sees that it is Ernest that is crying, and Doris is still blissfully unaware, breathing small breaths as she sleeps.

“Hello mister, what’s wrong with you?” Louis says as he leans down and gently picks up Ernest, bouncing him in his arms walking around the room, hoping the noises he’s making are soothing the child.

After a while, Ernest stops crying and decides to just gaze his wide eyes up at Louis instead. Louis walks over to the chair in the corner of the room and sits down bringing Ernest down on his knee. He smiles at the child and bops his finger on his nose, laughing when Ernest tries to grab his finger. Louis lets him grab his finger; he is ready to scrunch his nose in disgust when he thinks Ernest is going to put his finger in his mouth, but he doesn’t; he just holds onto Louis’ finger and brings it closer to him almost cuddling it. Louis smiles down at his brother and kisses the top of his head before getting up to walk downstairs to put the kettle on.

When he reaches in the fridge for the milk he notices that there is bacon in the fridge, and smiles to himself as he takes it out. He walks back over to the cooker and pats Ernest, who is sat in his highchair, on the head as he passes.

Louis is happily singing along to the radio, swaying his hips in time to the music, turning his head. He turns his head smiling often at Ernest over his shoulder, who is sat in his highchair laughing and clapping his hands looking up at his brother. A few moments later when the bacon is almost crisp, the girls come stumbling into the kitchen, tiredly wiping at their eyes. Lottie has Doris on her hip and Louis smiles, walking over and planting a kiss on Doris’ cheek before putting her in the highchair next to Ernest.

After Louis has all of the girls settled with bacon sandwiches, Jay and Dan walk into the kitchen with dressing gowns on and smiles on their faces. Jay walks over to where Louis is still cooking some bacon for him, Jay and Dan and kisses the back of his head whispering a ‘thank you’ in his ear.

Once the bacon is cooked Louis squished himself in so he is sat around the table with his large family and he smiles because he honestly couldn’t wish for anything else – except maybe Harry, but  _no one_  must know of that.

A little while later, they’re all cuddled on the sofas in the lounge watching a film with Doris and Ernest sleeping in their cots in the corner. Louis realised that he should probably be getting ready to head back up to university on the train but he just really didn’t want to leave. They’re about halfway through the movie when the only ones left awake are Louis, Jay and Lottie.

“They’re no competition at all, are they?” Jay comments as she pats Dan’s stomach with a fond expression on her face.

Louis laughs, running his fingers through Phoebe’s hair where she is hugging his side. “No,” he smiles. “They’re all weaklings.”

“Have you spoken to Zayn?” Jay asks him.

Louis looks over to where she is sitting on the other sofa, with Lottie next to her staring right at him. He shakes his head, “No, he hasn’t texted me,” he frowns. “Probably doesn’t even know I’m gone.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Jay says, shaking her head.

“I’ll see when I get back, won’t I?” Louis replies turning his head back toward the TV, ignoring the look both his mother and sister are sending him.

“So,” Jay begins. “This person—”

Louis interrupts her before she can even go on, “Shut up,” he laughs. “Don’t talk about him, I don’t want to talk about him.”

“It’s a boy,” she observes.

Louis nods hesitantly, “Yeah, if that’s okay.”

Lottie laughs, turning Louis’ attention to her. “Shut up Louis,” she huffs. “Why wouldn’t it be okay? You’ve had boyfriends before and if he makes you happy, what can we do about it?”

Jay smiles at her nodding her head proudly, “Exactly,” she adds.

“Just checking,” Louis says. “He’s with someone else,” he adds, looking sadly at the floor.

Jay unconsciously wraps her arm tighter around Dan. “Yes,” she hums. “I guess that is kind of a problem.”

“It’s just,” Louis begins contemplating how to phrase the next sentence. “There’s not something right, something is going on.”

Louis’ mum frowns, “How do you mean?”

“Don’t know,” Louis shrugs. “Zayn thinks so as well. I think his friends suspect something, apparently his boyfriend isn’t a nice person,” Louis comments lightly noticing his sister’s gaze.

She rolls her eyes at his statement, “I’m not a child.”

“I know,” Louis agrees. “I don’t know, no one thinks that his boyfriend is treating him right but Harry disagrees.”

“Harry,” Jay smiles. “Talk to him about it then,” she suggests putting her arm around Lottie who is still glaring at Louis.

Louis sighs, “I could if he wouldn’t get so defensive about it.”

“Maybe he is just scared that you’ll be right,” Jay suggests.

Louis looks at her smiling before extracting himself from underneath his sisters, kissing them gently on the heads as if not to wake the up. He then walks over to the cots in the corner and kisses Doris and Ernest on the head, stroking his finger lightly down Ernest’s face before walking over to his mum who is already standing in the door waiting for him. He hugs Lottie and tells her that she better help mum with the kids before he pats Dan lightly on the shoulder, only for him to huff out a breath.

He hugs his mum on his way out into the hallway, before walking upstairs to get his backpack. When he comes back downstairs his mum is waiting at the bottom and he smiles, kissing her on the cheek before opening the front door.

“I better get back,” he says frowning. “Get an education and everything.”

Jay runs her hand down his arm, “I know you’re not enjoying it as much as you thought, but you need to let yourself enjoy it. Make more friends, when Zayn blows you off go and hang out with Harry or something.”

“Okay,” Louis smiles. “See you soon, yeah?”

Jay nods pulling him in for another hug, “Door is always open.”

Louis laughs, pulling back to kiss her cheek and wave at Lottie who is standing in the window of the lounge. He walks away from the door and back in the direction of the train station, waving goodbye to his mum as he goes. He sighs when he asks for the train ticket back, wishing he could just stay home forever.

When he gets back to the flat he is unsurprised to find it completely empty and exactly the way he left it. He frowns, biting his lip. In a completely stupid way he’d almost wished that Zayn would be home, frantically searching for him worried out of his mind. Obviously, he was wrong considering the lack of best friend in the flat.

He drags himself to the bedroom and throws his backpack in the corner before collapsing on the bed in a huff. Louis almost jumps out of his skin when he lands on, not the bed, but a person.

The person lets out a surprised noise as well and comes out from where they are buried under the duvet. Louis is surprised and relieved to see Harry’s hesitant face peek out from behind the blankets.

Louis laughs and pulls him into a hug, “Boy am I glad to see you,” he breaths. “Thought you were a murderer.”

“Give me your heart,” Harry smiles wickedly, pushing Louis back onto the bed and leaning over him, apparently looking evil.

Louis smiles and pushes him away, Harry falls with his back on the bed as well, so that they are lying with the two of them looking up to the ceiling.

“Not to be rude or anything,” Louis says. “But why were you in my bed?”

Harry angles his head so that he is looking at Louis, “Needed to get away,” he shrugs.

Louis looks back up at him with a confused look on his face, “Yeah?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Harry breathes. “Needed a friend.”

Louis brings his lips together, “And I wasn’t here.”

Harry shrugs his shoulders, “It’s okay,” he reassures Louis. “I haven’t been here long.”

“How long?” Louis questions bring his arm and nudging Harry to move up so that he can wrap his arm around him. Harry then cuddles himself, resting his head on Louis’ chest right above where his heart is placed, he places his hand almost protectively over that area on Louis’ chest.

“I, uh, I got here like three o’clock this morning?” he says unsure of himself.

Louis sighs, bringing his arm even tighter around Harry. “Oh, love,” he breathes. “I’m sorry.”

Harry just shrugs his shoulders as much as he can and doesn’t say anything, settling instead for lightly drawing shapes when his hand is resting on Louis’ chest.

Bringing his free hand up, he places it over Harry’s on his chest, stopping the slight shaking of his hand. “What happened?” he asks almost scared of the answer.

“Nothing,” Harry mumbles.

Louis brings his hand and nudges Harry’s chin up so that he is looking Louis up at Louis’ face. “Don’t lie to me, darling.”

Shrugging, Harry moves his face out of Louis’ hand, “Just, I don’t know,” he huffs. “Me and Eric argued.”

“At three in the morning?” Louis asks furrowing his eyebrows together confused.

Nodding his head, Harry buries it back into Louis’ chest. “It was stupid,” he sniffs. “I was stupid; it was my fault.”

Louis disagrees with Harry – only in his head though. “How so?” he asks, moving the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Harry up to Harry’s hair and strokes his fingers through it.

“I don’t know, I was just stupid,” Harry admits. “I said the wrong thing, and it pissed him off, nothing major. He just said he didn’t want to look at me anymore."

“Oh, H,” Louis sighs stilling his hand in Harry’s hair and angling his head down slightly so he can press a kiss onto the slightly messed up curls.

Harry sniffs, sounding almost like he is crying. “Just fucked up again,” he sighs. “I deserved it.”

“Deserved what?” Louis questions seriously.

Harry freezes in his arms before his breathing comes out in shorter breaths, “I, uh, nothing, I mean—” he stops himself, trying to slow down his breaths before looking up at Louis. “I deserved, um, when he kicked me out, I deserved it.

“Harry—” Louis tries.

Harry shakes his head, “Can we just sleep?” he interrupts. “I’m really tired.”

Louis nods his head reluctantly before moving to get under the covers and opening his arms again for Harry to settle himself in.

Cuddling himself close, Harry sighs happily. “Goodnight, Louis.”

Louis leans over and turns off the side light, smiling down at Harry cuddled into his chest. “Goodnight, Harry,” he whispers wrapping his one arm tighter around Harry and the other one running though his hair.

**

Zayn decides to actually show his face properly and spend time with Louis two days later. The only irritating thing is that Zayn knows on a Tuesday Louis’ got the afternoons off, which he will usually spend watching  _Breaking Bad_  on the sofa thinking about the essays he should be writing. Zayn annoyingly decided to use this time to bug Louis.

Louis is lying on the sofa with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders when he hears the door open. He glances at the door briefly assuming it was Harry before turning his attention back to the TV. What startles him and draws his attention away from the TV is two minutes later, when someone places a mug on the coffee table where Louis is resting his feet. He sighs as he moves his feet and he even rolls his eyes when he sees that Zayn is sitting himself down on the sofa next to Louis.

“Holy shit, it’s been so long, I’d almost forgotten what you looked like,” he says sarcastically, not even caring that Zayn flinches slightly.

Zayn looks at Louis with sad eyes, and Louis looks away because there is no way that Zayn is getting away with this by making Louis feel sorry for him. “I know I’ve been a shit friend,” he sighs sadly.

Louis laughs looking back ay Zayn, “Oh my dear Zayn, you’ve been more than just shit.”

“I’m sorry,” Zayn tries, reaching out for Louis but Louis backs away further into the corner of the sofa.

“What? Sorry you disappeared off the face of the earth or just sorry you forgot that I actually existed?” he questions, narrowing his eyes.

Zayn flinches again, but Louis just ignores him, “Both, I guess."

“You guess?” Louis asks. “Well isn’t that just fan- _fucking_ -tastic, if you don’t know mate, I sure as hell don’t.” Louis mutters harshly before standing up to turn the TV off, taking his mug with him as he walked to his bedroom, when he turns to shut the door he sees that Zayn has followed him and he huffs out a breath. “Don’t you get the fucking hint? I don’t want to see you right now,” he almost shouts.

“But—” Zayn tries to interrupt him but Louis just carries on.

“I’ve spent the last month alone, Zayn. I’m pretty sure I can handle a few more hours on my own,” he states harshly. “What are you fucking bored of Niall or something? I mean how could you be, he is just  _so_  amazing, or was it that you felt sorry for me? Or, I know, was it that you actually realised that you did have friends that you fucking abandoned, for a fucking boy Zayn.”

Zayn nods his head, looking down to the floor his mouth forming a frown, “I know,” he whispers. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well life is fucking shit, thanks for asking, bro,” Louis says shrugging his shoulders.

Zayn opens his mouth a few times but decides to remain silent, Louis sighs bringing his free hand down his face sadly. “Look,” he begins. “I’m happy for you, ecstatic, whatever. But like, I’d be less bitter if you didn’t completely blow me off for someone you met a month ago, you know. I know we’ve only been friends for like four months, but really I thought our friendship was worth more than that.”

“It is, I just—” Zayn cuts himself off.

Louis brings his hands away from his eyes and takes a moment to look at Zayn who is looking sadly at the floor biting his lip between his teeth. “You just what?”

Zayn shrugs, “Niall’s great,” he smiles for a moment. “I’m fucking sorry, okay? I don’t know what is happening and I’m scared, Niall is just so fucking brilliant and I want to spend all my time with him and I’m really not good at time keeping or spreading my time around. Everything is going great and moving so fucking fast and I’m shitting myself,” he admits, and Louis relents just a little bit, sighing before he opens his door wider so that Zayn and come in.

“Niall  _is_ great, we both know that. You have nothing to be scared of,” Louis says bringing his hand and rubbing it up and down Zayn’s back. He receives a small smile in return and gestures for them both the settle on Louis’ bed, but instead of dropping onto the bed Zayn settles on the floor with his back resting against the bed his head in between his knees.

Louis places his mug on the side before sitting down next to Zayn and taking Zayn’s hand into his own and kissing the back of it. “Niall said he loves me,” Zayn breathes and Louis freezes.

“Zayn, it’s been a month,” Louis says, eyes wide.

Zayn moves his head out from between his knees and looks at Louis. “I know,” he says nodding his head. “I was just as surprised as you.”

“What did you say?” Louis asks seriously squeezing Zayn’s hand tighter in his own.

Zayn huffs out a small laugh, “I sat there for a while probably looking like a gaping fish, to be honest.”

“Then?” Louis laughs.

“Then I said I had to come and see you,” he sighs looking back to his knees, which are trembling slightly.

Louis looks away from Zayn, “Fuck,” he breathes.

“I know,” Zayn says sadly his bottom lip pouting out slightly.

Louis looks back toward Zayn and nudges him so that he was lying with his head on Louis’ shoulder. “You okay?”

Zayn shakes his head slightly against Louis’ shoulder, “No,” he sniffs. “I don’t know, I just froze and now he probably thinks I’m a twat.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Louis says wrapping his arm around Zayn and squeezing him to his chest tighter.

Zayn nudges his head against Louis’ neck, burrowing his head further against Louis’ neck almost like he is trying to hide himself. “You didn’t see his face when I left, he looked like a kicked puppy.”

“He’ll understand,” Louis says rubbing his hand up and down Zayn’s arm, offering – or at least hoping to offer some form of reassurance.

Zayn nods his head against Louis’ neck, “Are you okay, then?”

“Don’t know,” Louis shrugs, nudging Zayn’s head a bit. “I’ve had to spend the past four pizza nights alone, and I think we might have to order from a different place because the delivery guy is an intrusive little shit so I may have told him to fuck off.”

Zayn brings his head out from Louis’ neck, eyes wide. “What?” he questions.

“He started to give me the ‘it gets better’ speech, he thought we’d broken up,” Louis sighs running his fingers along the floor.

Zayn laughs loudly, clutching his stomach and bending over so that his forehead was resting on the floor. Soon, after listening to Zayn’s brilliant laugh, Louis joins him until their lying next to each other on the floor, clutching their stomachs, with Zayn’s nose crinkling and the corner of Louis eyes crinkling.

“I’ve missed you,” Louis says after they have calmed down, but were still lying on the floor facing each other.

Zayn smiles and brings his hand to run gently down Louis’ face, “Me too,” he whispers. “How’s Harry?” he asks wiggling his eyebrows.

“Don’t fucking ask,” Louis says rolling his eyes.

“He’s been spending less time at Niall’s, which means less time with Eric, maybe something’s happened?” Zayn questions looking intently at Louis.

Louis huffs out a breath, “I came home to him in my bed the other night, he said him and Eric had argued, at like three in the morning, who does that? Most people are either fucking or sleeping at that time, I’d be too tired to argue at three in the morning.”

“So he came here?” Zayn questions, furrowing his eyebrows.

Louis nods his head, “Said he needed a friend, but I wasn’t home until like seven in the evening.”

“Where were you?” Zayn asks running his hands through Louis hair lightly, brushing a few strands away from his face and behind his ear.

“Visited mum,” Louis sighs, moving closer to Zayn urging him to keep running his hand through his hair.

Zayn nods, smiling at Louis who’s got his eyes closed. “Her and the kids okay?”

“Yeah, they’re great,” Louis opens his eyes smiling and nodding his head. “Fuck, the twins have grown so much.”

“That’s great,” Zayn smiles. “Wait, let me get this right,” he says seriously. “Harry needed a friend so he came here?”

Louis nods his head, “Yeah, I was a bit confused as well, I’ve not known him long.”

“Odd,” Zayn hums.

Louis agrees quickly, moving his head so it was lying on Zayn’s chest. “Wait,” he says, bringing himself so he was sitting up resting his weight on his hands, looking at Zayn. “When he was talking about them arguing he told me he deserved it,” Louis tells Zayn.

Zayn looks at him confused, “Deserved what?”

“Don’t know,” Louis shrugs. “When I asked he just said deserved to get thrown out, but he is a  _terrible_  liar, but he told me he didn’t want to talk about it so I didn’t want to keep on.”

“Yeah,” Zayn says nodding his head. “It’s a bit weird.”

Louis nods, agreeing with him. “We’ll keep an eye on him though, right?”

“Most definitely,” Zayn agrees.

Louis smiled before he stands up and pulls Zayn up to stand with him. “Now,” he begins. “You have a boyfriend to go and confess your love to.”

Zayn looks at him wide eyed before beginning to shake his head slightly, “I can’t.”

“Why?” Louis persists, taking Zayn’s hands and leading him into the lounge grabbing Zayn’s coat and shoes from the rack.

Zayn shakes his head when Louis comes back, “Don’t know,” he shrugs. “Scared.”

“But you do love him?” Louis asks pushing Zayn so he was sitting on the sofa before putting Zayn’s shoes on for him.

Zayn nods his head, “I think so.”

“Well then, why are we having this conversation?” Louis laughs. “Be gone with you,” he says finishing putting on Zayn’s shoes and pulling him up before pushing his coat in his hands and pushing him toward the door.

“Thanks, Lou,” Zayn whispers leaning to kiss Louis’ cheek. “You’re the best.”

Louis smiles opening the door, “Go on, you can repay me by not ignoring me for a month. You do know that I actually can be friends with Liam and Niall as well, invite me places, stop me being lonely.”

“Okay,” Zayn laughs nodding his head before walking out of the doorway. “Wish me luck,” he says turning back to Louis who is leaning against the doorframe smiling at Zayn as he walks away.

“Good luck,” he smiles. Then Zayn is walking and getting further and further away until he is gone.

Two hours later, Zayn texts Louis a photo of him and Niall with Zayn kissing Niall’s cheek and Niall holding a thumbs up to the camera with the caption  _thanks princess_. Honestly, Louis supposes he should hate Zayn, but he can’t help but love him a little more.

**

Life for Louis continues pretty much the same as it did before Zayn forgot his existence. For once in the past year, Louis is genuinely happy, though he can’t decide whether it’s down to the lack of loneliness or the curly haired boy making a more frequent appearance.

Tonight for once, Louis doesn’t mind being alone, merely due to the fact that it is Zayn and Niall’s it’s-been-one-week-since-we-said-I-love-you anniversary; and honestly, Louis would consider himself a shit friend if he didn’t give them a little privacy. Consequently he actually didn’t mind being alone for this pizza Saturday due to that small little detail. However, it’s on the condition that Zayn takes Niall to Louis’ favourite little restaurant down a side street in the centre of the city.

Louis himself is wearing his most comfortable and least flattering jogging bottoms and a plain white t-shirt, but really, he doesn’t mind considering the only person he is supposing he will see is the pizza guy. That encounter is one Louis is seriously dreading since Zayn refused to change pizza places considering the place they go now is the best – “but  _Lou_ , they put the perfect amount of cheese on there and they know just how much sweetcorn and chicken to put on there.” Louis had just decided to suck it up and deal with it.

His night is relatively enjoyable; he’s on his fourth episodes of  _Game of Thrones_  of the night. He’s extremely close to throwing his bowl of popcorn at the TV in an attempt to knock that  _stupid_  crown off Joffrey’s head, when he hears a small knock at the door.  

He pauses the TV, then looks confused at the door, wondering who the hell would be knocking on his door at—he glances down at his watch—one o’clock in the morning. He makes his way slowly to the door, almost hesitant to open it in case it’s a murderer or something.

He is halfway through a mental pep talk when he hears a quiet voice speak. “Lou,” Harry whispers, but Louis can hear it clearly as if Harry is pressed up against the door. “Please let me in, I’ve lost my key.”

Louis opens the door without hesitation when he hears the desperation in Harry’s voice. Once the door is open Louis is greeted with the sight of Harry looking tired, tears falling slowly from his cheeks, a red mark on his face and clutching his right arm to his chest.

“Oh god,” Louis says. He opens the door wider so Harry can stumble his way in, limping slightly on his one leg. Louis helps him over to the sofa and sits him down carefully, before sitting next to him. “What the bloody hell happened?”

Harry is looking down at his hands, refusing to meet Louis’ eyes the tears still falling from his eyes when he speaks. “I think I’ve sprained my wrist or something,” he shrugs.

“How?” Louis asks taking Harry’s wrist carefully into his hands and pulling back the sleeves of Harry’s top and he is almost unable to hold in the gasp forming in his throat. He glances up at Harry’s face pleadingly to see Harry looking at him with a frown.

“Fell down the stairs,” he mumbles.

Louis shakes his head, “What you got these scrams falling down the stairs as well?” Louis points to the scratches marking Harry’s arm, he brushes his fingers lightly over them, staring sadly at the marks when Harry winces.

“No,” Harry whispers, his voice shaking. “I, um, I don’t know.”

Raising his head so he is staring right in Harry’s eyes, Louis furrows his eyebrows. “You don’t know?” he questions.

Harry nods his head, “Can we please, please just not talk about it.”

“What do you want to talk about then?” Louis says angrily. “The fucking  _weather_? Oh did you hear the storm last week, kept me up all night that one did.”

“I—” Harry interrupts.

Louis continues anyway, ignoring the interruption. “Or, I know, let’s talk about the recession, bloody awful isn’t it?”

“Lou,” Harry pleads frowning.

“Let’s talk about anything apart from the fact that you’re fucking _hurt_  and won’t tell me how, or  _who_  did this to you.”

“Lou,” Harry tries again. He inches slightly away from Louis and tucking himself further into the corner of the sofa almost as though he is trying to disappear.

“What?” Louis shouts. But his anger completely fades away when he sees Harry struggling to move himself even further away from Louis with a scared look on his face.

Harry flinches, but Louis isn’t really sure why. “I’m sorry,” he cries.

Cursing himself, Louis tries to get closer to Harry, to put his arm around him or something but Harry just moves himself further and further away until he is almost off the arm of the sofa.

“Harry, please,” Louis says, holding his hand out. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Harry shakes his head, looking down at his hands, which Louis can see are trembling. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“Sorry for what?” Louis questions him, trying to ignore the way Harry is still shaking his head and mumbling sorry. 

Louis stands up and walks toward Harry, he kneels down in front of him and grabs Harry’s hands in his own. This apparently startles Harry and he looks up at Louis like a deer caught in headlights, still shaking his head slightly as he attempts to get his hands out of Louis’ grip but Louis keeps a strong hold.

“You’re okay,” Louis whispers, bringing Harry’s hands up and placing a kiss on the back of his hands.

“No,” Harry shakes his head.

Sighing to himself, Louis stands and sits back on the sofa, this time closer to Harry. He tugs on Harry’s unhurt arm and gestures into his arms, Harry nods sniffling and falls gratefully into Louis’ arms and sobs against Louis’ shoulder.

Clutching Harry’s even tighter to his chest, Louis rocks the two of them back and forth rubbing his hand up and down Harry’s back in an attempt to comfort him. For a while the two of them sit there in silence for a while, before Harry’s hands stop shaking and his sobs turn into small sniffles.

“You’re okay,” Louis whispers brushing Harry’s hair behind his ear and kissing the side of his head gently.

Harry moves his head out from Louis’ shoulder and Louis wipes the tears that still remain on Harry’s cheek. Harry smiles for a second before frowning again. “I’m sorry,” he says again but Louis still isn’t sure why.

“Why?” he asks again.

Harry shrugs his shoulders slightly, looking back down to his hands. “I made you angry.”

Louis sighs sadly; he grabs Harry’s hand in his own and rubs his fingers over the back Harry’s hand lightly. “Not your fault, love.”

Harry just shrugs his shoulders; Louis brings his hand up and places it under Harry’s chin, lifting his chin so he was looking at Louis’ face. “Let’s do something,” Louis says.

“It’s like one o’clock in the morning,” Harry laughs.

Louis laughs bringing his hand from under Harry’s chin and placing it on Harry’s hip, stroking the skin slightly where his top has bunches up. “So,” he shrugs his shoulders. “Let’s go somewhere.”

“There’s a 24 hour McDonalds a two minute walk from here,” Harry suggests.

Louis smiles, “Let’s do it.” Louis stands up and holds his hand out for Harry to take, he smiles as he grabs coats from the rack and puts on some shoes, laughing as he turns back to Harry and pulls his hand. Louis tries not to feel too proud of himself when he sees Harry smiling as well.

Once they get out of the house, Louis turns toward Harry and smiles holding out his hand for Harry to take. Harry smiles widely as he places his own hand gently in Louis’, squeezing it softly when Louis turns his head away to bit his lip.

“What do you want?” Louis asks grabbing his wallet from his back pocket when they get to McDonalds.

Harry looks up at the menu, “Burger?” he contemplates. “I’m not sure, I barely ever come here, you decide.”

Nodding his head, Louis just orders them both ordinary burgers and chips. He pays and then grabs the tray and walks over to where Harry has already sat himself down at a table at the back.

“Just got you a burger and chips, if that’s okay?” Louis says sitting himself opposite Harry.

Harry smiles, his dimples on full display; Louis restrains himself from leaning over and poking one of them. “That’s great,” he answers grabbing his chips from the tray.

“I forgot how nice McDonalds was.” Harry comments after eating one of the chips.

Louis smiles and puts a chip in his own mouth, “I come here all the time, quite bad for you I guess, but it tastes too nice not to have.”

“I guess,” Harry says. “I haven’t had McDonalds in about two years.”

“Two years!” Louis exclaims. “How have you survived?”

Harry shrugs, “Thought I was getting a bit tubby, so I stopped eating junk food.”

“I highly doubt you ever were,” Louis comments with his eyebrows raised in question.

Harry smiles, eating another chip. “My mum said the same, but Eric said I had put on a bit of weight over the summer, he was right though, all I ate that summer was pizza and biscuits.”

“Pizza and biscuits are great.” Louis replies, trying his hardest not to shout at Harry that Eric is a prick and Harry should leave him straight away. No one, absolutely  _no one_  should tell anyone they’ve gained weight.

Harry nods his head in agreement, before finishing his chips and moving onto the burger. “What’s your story then?” he asks after swallowing what food he has in his mouth.

Louis shrugs, “Originally from Doncaster, moved up here for university for bigger and brighter opportunities, I guess.”

“Same, I guess. Except I’m not from Doncaster, I’m from Cheshire,” Harry says while picking the salad out of his burger.

Louis smiles widely, “You  _are_  a posh lad,” he laughs. “I knew it.”

“Not that posh,” Harry says, rolling his eyes.

“Whatever you say. Cheshire, honestly,” Louis snorts, taking a bite of his own burger. “What about your family then, any siblings or anything?”

Harry nods his head, “One,” he says. “An older sister, she’s great.”

“I have a sister as well,” Louis comments watching Harry’s eyes light up. “Well actually I have five younger sisters and a younger brother.”

“Wow,” Harry says in amazement. “Big family then.”

“I guess,” Louis smiles. “Not all from the same dad though, considering they don’t actually have the balls to stick around.”

Harry hums thoughtfully, pushing a scrunched up napkin back and forth between his hands. “My mum and dad aren’t together, I lived with my mum, but I saw my dad a lot,” he says not looking at Louis. “It was an alright arrangement, I guess. I was just always sad that they weren’t together, you know. That was until mum found Robin and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile or laugh so much.”

“I know what you mean, as a child I just always wondered why my mum wasn’t with my dad. Before I knew about sex and shit, my mum told me that my sisters came from love, and when two people loved each other they were given a baby, but that just made it even more confusing for why my mum and dad weren’t in love,” he sighs. “Dunno, childhood is just weird. Mum is a lot happier with Dan though; he’s the father of the youngest two, twins, boy and a girl. He finally got me a brother so I guess he is okay.”

“It sounds great,” Harry smiles. “I want a big family when I decide to have kids.”

Louis looks up from his drink to see Harry smiling at him, he smiles back around his straw. “Me too,” he says.

Harry looks back down at his empty boxes blushing, Louis smiles before standing up and putting their rubbish in the bin; he walks back over to Harry and holds his hand out. “Come on,” he says pulling Harry up so he is standing.

“Where are we going?” Harry asks, following behind Louis, still holding his hand.

Louis turns his head back so he can look at Harry, “You didn’t think our adventure was over already?” he questions smiling. “Come on.”

Louis tugs on Harry’s hand until they’re in what Harry can only describe as a giant field. “I’m tired,” Louis yawns. “Lets sit down.” He pulls Harry’s hand down until Harry is sat down on the floor next to him.

“So, tell me about you and Eric then,” Louis says. Despite the fact that he doesn’t want to speak one word of Eric, he wants to be able to understand the relationship considering he does not understand it one bit.

Harry smiles, blushing slightly. “Our mums are best friends, I’ve known him since we were both babies, it was great really,” he grins. “He was my best friend, still is. Then when we were like fifteen he was having some kind of sexuality crisis, he told me he was in love with me. He wouldn’t stop talking or wouldn’t let me speak so I kissed him to shut him up. We’ve been together ever since.”

“Cute,” Louis comments dryly. “You’ve been together three years?”

Harry nods, “Almost four.”

“That’s a long time to spend with the same person,” Louis says.

“I guess,” Harry shrugs. “But I love him, so every day is great.”

Louis narrows his eyes. “Every day?” he asks suspiciously.

“Yeah,” Harry says, furrowing his brows.

“Even today?” Louis questions, gesturing down toward Harry’s injured arm.

Harry looks at Louis confused before looking down at where his arm is still curled against his chest. “Yes,” he replies stiffly. “Everything was fine until I—” he cuts himself off.

“Until you what?” Louis prompts.

“Until I fell down the stairs,” he says narrowing his eyes.

Louis rolls his eyes. “Come on, Harry, I’m not stupid. I know you didn’t fall down the stairs.”

“I did!” Harry protests. “I’m clumsy, I told you.”

“Harry,” Louis replies carefully taking Harry’s hands into his own. “You did not fall own the stairs and get scratches on your arm.”

“I have a cat,” Harry says trying to withdraw his hands from Louis’ grip, but Louis just hold on tighter.

Louis hums, “Funny that,” he says. “Student accommodation doesn’t allow pets.”

“I, uh, I have a cat at home with my mum,” he says wide-eyed.

Louis nods his head, “Of course,” he says ironically. “When was the last time you went home? Christmas?”

Harry shook his head quickly, his eyes still wide and darting everywhere but not look Louis in the eyes.

Louis sighs, “Harry I know you haven’t been home since Christmas. Zayn says you’re there when Zayn is almost every weekend. You’ve got classes in the week and you don’t strike me as the type to skip them.”

Harry just continues shaking his head, rocking back and forth where he is sitting. His hands are still placed in Louis’ and Louis can feel them shaking so he squeezes them lightly every so often.

“Harry,” he says, placing one hand under Harry’s chin urging him to look him in the eye. “If you’re hurting yourself or whatever, you know you can get help.”

“What?” Harry questions, confused.

“Look, Harry, it’s alright, you know we can get help, Chloe— have I mentioned her before? Went to my school, she’s my friend, she went through the same, right we can—you’ll be okay.”

Harry furrows his eyebrows, looking at Louis carefully. “What the fuck are you talking about?” he asks.

“Your cuts and bruises, you don’t have to hurt yourself or anything. To be honest, I think you’re bloody brilliant and if you don’t believe it then I promise you I will do everything I can to help you believe it,” Louis says seriously.

“I’m not hurting myself, Louis.” Harry says, watching Louis carefully, brushing Louis’ hair out of his face when he looks up at Harry confused.

“What? I thought—” he says confused.

Harry huffs out a slight chuckle. “I’m not hurting myself,” he repeats.

“But,” Louis tries weakly. “You have cuts all the time, and bruises. You always wear long sleeved tops, and you’re always putting yourself down. I thought that Eric was making you feel bad about yourself so you just took it out on yourself.”

Harry shakes his head, biting his lip between his teeth.

“Well then, who is hurting you?” Louis questions, looking up at Harry.

“I, um, no one?” he tries.

Louis just narrows his eyes in response. “Don’t even fucking try that with me, Styles,” he states harshly. “I bet it’s Eric, the little son of a bitch.”

Harry shakes his head weakly, unable to form words.

“It is, isn’t it?” When Harry doesn’t reply, Louis stands up and beings pacing. “I fucking  _knew_  there wasn’t something right about him, fuck sake, he is such an arse.”

“He’s not,” Harry says weakly, shaking his head.

Louis raises his eyebrows. “He fucking hits you Harry, in my book that automatically makes him an arse.”

“It’s not his fault, I just, I just make him mad, I guess.”

Louis stops pacing and looks at Harry shocked. “It’s not your fault,” he replies. “Never your fault, if he can’t control his anger then that’s his fault.”

“It’s only happened a few times,” Harry whispers, staring at his injured arm.

Louis walks over to him and takes his arm and places a kiss carefully onto the skin. “Shouldn’t have happened at all,” he mutters. “Is that what happened tonight then, he got angry?”

“Yeah,” Harry says nodding his head sadly. “He, um, he doesn’t like it when I say no.”

Louis pulls back to look at Harry’s face, shocked. “Harry, that’s fucking rape!”

“No,” Harry shakes his head quickly. “He didn’t do anything, he just got angry when I told him I was tired, he tried to grab me back when I got out of the bed, and ended up scratching me. When he couldn’t grab me in time he got up and chased me and then pushed me, and I fell and hurt my arm.”

“So, he was trying to pull you back into the bed to rape you, but when he couldn’t he pushed you over instead?” Louis concludes.

“No,” Harry says shaking his head. “He wanted me back in the bed to cuddle, he likes to cuddle before bed.”

“It’s fucking outrageous,” Louis protests. “He’s abusing you and he’s got you convinced that it’s all your fault, that’s fucking manipulation, Harry.”

Harry shakes his head, looking down at the ground. “I love him,” he says quietly.

“Doesn’t matter, it’s still an abusive relationship,” Louis sighs. “You need to break up with him or something, Harry.”

“But he loves me, Lou, I— I can’t leave him, he loves me, I know he does.”

Louis shakes his head, “You need to be safe.”

“No, I can’t leave him,” Harry says shaking his head. “He  _loves_  me.”

“Maybe, but what does that say about you, Harry?” Louis sighs, rubbing his hands over his face and wiping his tired eyes. “What does that say about how much you love yourself? You let Eric fucking hit you, then you go about claiming it is love. No, love is gentle touches, not punches.”

Harry shakes his head, looking up and glaring at Louis. “You don’t know anything,” he spits. “What you think you can save me or something? Well guess what? I don’t need fucking saving, so don’t bother wasting your time.” He glares once more before standing up harshly and stomping off, Louis trailing quickly behind him.

Louis reaches out his arm and grabs Harry’s, turning him around so he is facing Louis. “I didn’t mean I wanted to save you, I just want you to be safe.”

“I’m fucking safe,” Harry mutters.

“Not when you’re still with that prick,” Louis says hatefully. “Not when you’re still getting hit or abused by him.”

“You don’t know anything about our relationship, Louis.” Harry states.

“Maybe,” Louis says. “But I do know that one of my friends is getting hurt, and I know I’d be a shit friend if I didn’t try to stop it.”

“Please, just don’t,” Harry whispers weakly. “I love him, and he loves me.”

Louis shrugs, “He’s got a funny way of showing it.” Louis mutters gesturing to a bruise on Harry’s left arm.

“Please, just don’t get involved.” Harry mutters, looking away from the bruise on his arm and gently tugging his arm out of Louis’ and turning to walk away.

Louis quickly catches up and walks in time with Harry. “You know,” he says. “I will not stop until you’re either out of this relationship or he stops beating you.”

“Please, don’t,” Harry says shaking his head weakly. “We love each other and that’s all I need.”

“Maybe you do, but I’m positively sure that someone can love you more than him. Someone who will show their love in ways other than bruises,” Louis replies.

Harry looks at him from the corner of his eye and decides not to comment, the two of them remain silent for the rest of the journey back to the flat. They don’t speak a word other than a quick ‘good night’ when they go into their separate rooms. 

**

“Harry?” Louis asks quietly as he knocks on Harry’s bedroom door the next day.

He opens the door slowly when he hears a groan from the other side; he walks in quietly and looks to see Harry lying on the bed with his back facing toward the door.

Louis clears his throat loudly, Harry sighs as he rolls over looking at Louis while rubbing his eyes. Louis gestures toward the bed and Harry shrugs his shoulders. Louis smiles and crawls into the bed with Harry.

Harry smiles slightly when Louis grabs Harry’s injured arm in his hand and places a small kiss there.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers against Harry’s skin.

Harry bites his lip, “ _I’m_  sorry.”

“Why?” Louis questions bringing his hand up and brushing Harry’s hair away from his eyes.

“I upset you,” Harry says sleepily, moving to nuzzle his head into Louis’ neck. “Didn’t mean it, don’t want you sad.”

Louis smiles slightly against Harry’s curly hair. “I’m fine, not sad at all.”

“Good,” Harry whispers into the skin of Louis’ throat, eyes closing once more.

“I just don’t want you to be sad or hurt,” Louis adds as an afterthought when Harry is drifting back to sleep.

Harry nuzzles himself even further into Louis, bringing his arm across Louis’ chest and pressing closer to Louis. “I’m fine, perfect even.”

“Come on then, I’m all dressed and ready,” Louis says, moving to get up before Harry pins him to the bed. “Time for you to get up.”

Harry shakes his head against Louis’ chest, “It’s a Sunday, I’m not getting up before midday, at least.”

“It’s two in the afternoon, love,” Louis laughs.

Harry brings his head up from Louis’ chest and looks around the room in confusion. He looks at the light getting in through the corners of his blind, and at his alarm clock, which does in fact read 14:19. He smiles and hides his face back into Louis’ chest, “Don’t care, want to sleep."

“Well, I am hungry. I want food,” Louis says rolling his eyes.

“Sleep,” Harry replies holding Louis down onto the bed when he tries to get up. Given that Harry has only just woken up, he literally has zero strength in his arms so his attempts to keep Louis on the bed are pretty futile. He gives up in the end and decides to instead pull Louis back so he was lying down and places his entire body on top of Louis, trapping him there.

“Hi,” Harry breathes, when he is settled lying on top of Louis’ body.

“Hi,” Louis smiles back.

“Hi,” Harry says again.

Louis laughs, “Didn’t we just do this?”

Harry grins, he brings his hand up and lays it on Louis’ face gently his finger running lightly over the stubble on his chin. “You need to shave,” Harry comments.

“I know,” Louis smiles. “I could do it right now if I didn’t have you lying on top of me.”

Harry just shakes his head in response; he then puts his head back on Louis’ chest and closes his eyes once more.

“Hey, how about we make a deal?” Harry looks up at Louis is response. “I’ll buy you pancakes if you get off me.”

Harry strokes his chin lightly for a few moments while Louis laughs, Harry nods his head and gets up off the bed. “I’ll go and put the kettle on.”

Louis smiles from his place still lying on the bed before reaching for his phone out of his jeans pocket and texts Zayn quickly.

**_Leprechauns aren’t nearly as pretty as their curly haired friends_ **

He laughs to himself and stands up to join Harry in the kitchen, who is pottering about in his boxers and a plain white t-shirt. He smiles when he sees Louis come into the kitchen and grabs two mugs from the cupboard.

Louis decides to sit at the table and checks his phone; he sees that he has three messages from Zayn.

_I might have to disagree with you there mate_

_Btw Eric looking for Haz, he seems angry_

_Be careful_

He glances up from his phone to see Harry placing a mug in front of him, looking nervous. “I wasn’t sure if you took any sugar or anything.”

“No,” Louis shakes his head. “Just this is fine.”

Harry smiles and takes a sip of his own tea, before gesturing to Louis’ phone, which is still placed in his hands. “You texting Zayn?”

Louis nods, “Am I that obvious?”

“Just know you well, I guess.” Harry says looking at the table.

“Um, Zayn says Eric is looking for you,” Louis says under his breath, almost hoping that Harry didn’t hear him.

Harry looks up from the table with wide eyes, with and expression that Louis could only read as panic. “What?”

“Eric is looking for you,” Louis repeats.

Harry looks at his injured arm, which is pressed against his chest, Harry holding it almost protectively. “Is he angry?” he asks quietly looking back up at Louis.

Louis nods sadly, hating himself when Harry flinches. “You know,” Louis begins. He leans over the table to brush the back of Harry’s hand, which is curled into a fist on the table. “You can leave him, if he scares you then that’s not a good relationship.”

“I’m not scared,” Harry says pulling his hand away from Louis’. Louis tries not to look so hurt, he fails. “I’m just worried.”

“Worried about what?” Louis asks, looking at Harry carefully.

Harry shrugs, “How he is,” he admits. “He always hates himself after he hurts me, I shouldn’t have left him.”

“He should feel fucking bad,” Louis mutters and Harry narrows his eyes.

“It’s not his fault I make him angry,” he says harshly, stomping back into his room.

Louis sighs, rubbing his hand over his face, he drinks the rest of his tea before standing up to put his mug in the sink. He walks back into the lounge and throws himself onto the sofa huffing out a breath as he falls.

Everything was so fucking stupid, he hated Eric – absolutely fucking  _hated_  him. Not just because he was jealous that he was with Harry and not Louis, but also because he was a prick who hit his boyfriend as an outlet for his anger. Louis wondered whether he should go to the police and report it. That idea was soon destroyed by Louis realising that Harry would need to testify and admit it was happing, given how Harry had reacted so far there was no chance that was happening.

Louis didn’t know how long he’d been sat on the sofa thinking about ways to make Harry leave Eric before he heard the floorboards creak. He opened his eyes to see Harry walking towards the door and out of the flat.

“Where are you going?” Louis asked.

Harry glanced back quickly, gesturing to the door. “Need to see Eric, I just spoke to him on the phone, I’m going to his now.”

Louis nods his head sadly and Harry leaves, not looking back until he is out of the door when he looks back at the closed door with a frown on his face. 

**

Life continues speeding forward and as time goes on his and Harry’s friendship grows, which he is somewhat happy about. Happy that he gets to see Harry more often but he is somewhat disappointed in the lack of kissing or sex. Then again, Harry still hasn’t left his prick of a boyfriend, so Louis really isn’t expecting Harry to come running into his waiting arms any time soon.

Louis decides to stop badgering Harry about leaving Eric, decides to just leave him be and do as he pleases. Though he is probably a shit friend for letting it still happen but Harry made him pinky promise not to tell.

Louis doesn’t usually break promises. Especially not pinky promises, (who even does that). But the thing is, Louis meets up with Harry once in a small café right outside their flat and Harry comes limping in. Louis draws the line right there and then.

He meets up with Niall and Zayn that night, (which thank God is a Saturday because that means they can have beer) Harry is over at Eric’s and Niall is staying over his and Zayn’s.

He gathers them into the lounge and sits them both down, trying not to roll his eyes when they sit together as close as possible with Zayn’s foot hooked around Niall’s. “Look, this would be a lot easier if I didn’t throw up,” he comments gesturing down to their feet.

Zayn huffs out a breath and unhooks his foot from Niall’s, Niall laughs loudly and settles back against the sofa. Louis honestly tries to ignore the fact that Niall is sitting there contently with Zayn’s arm stretched across the back and Niall’s head is leaning on Zayn’s arm. It does not look comfortable at all, but Louis rolls his eyes and decides to ignore it.

“So,” he begins. “What do you think about Harry and Eric’s relationship?”

“Eric’s a tosser. Harry deserves better,” Niall says and Zayn nods his head in agreement.

Louis smiles, “So we’re all agreed that Eric is a massive wanker who doesn’t deserve Harry in the slightest?”

“Definitely,” Niall comments nodding his head, leaning back slightly into where Zayn is running his fingers through Niall’s hair. “I wouldn’t even want someone I hate, like Mr. Rees or something, to be in a relationship with Eric, it just looks shit.”

“Exactly,” Zayn agrees. “Eric’s a prick, I’ve always known this even before I saw how he treated Haz.”

“As you both know, I have been spending more time with our Harold,” Louis says puffing out his chest proudly, ignoring the way Zayn rolls his eyes and Niall lets out a bark-like laugh. “Now that I am his best friend—fuck you Niall—he’s entrusted me with hidden information.”

Niall rolls his eyes at the comment. “Fuck off Tommo. Obviously Harry is your best friend. The boy is bloody smitten, he doesn’t talk about anything else, except when Eric’s around, you know.”

“What’s he told you?” Zayn asks.

Louis leans forward and looks over his shoulder to reassure himself that Harry isn’t going to pop out of nowhere. “You can’t tell him I told you or he’ll murder me.”

“Doubt it,” Niall mutters, smirking.

Zayn smacks him slightly on the back of the head laughing and Niall pouts while Louis rolls his eyes.

“Anyway,” Louis continues. “Promise you won’t tell him?”

They both agree.

“Eric hits him,” Louis says, spitting out Eric’s name.

Niall leans forward quickly, “You fucking serious?”

“Wouldn’t lie about this,” Louis says nodding his head.

“What a bloody fucking asshole! I told you Zayn, didn’t I tell you?” Zayn nods his head. “Something messed up about that lad, not fucking right. Now he is taking it out on Haz, no, not fucking okay.”

Louis looks at Zayn who is looking at Niall sadly, bringing his hand up to rub his fingers over Niall’s hand in an attempt to calm him down. “Eric’s a bastard,” he says finally looking at Louis.

“Harry keeps coming to me after he’s hurt because I know, but I can’t stand to see him hurt anymore. He came to me the other day fucking trembling with a black eye,” Louis says, narrowing his eyes.

“He told me he walked into a door,” Niall says, looking down at his hands sadly. “Can’t believe I didn’t fucking realise.” He buries his face into his hands and huffs out a trembling breath.

Louis shakes his head, “Not your fault,” he says. “You couldn’t have known, to be honest. I thought he was hurting himself at first, didn’t even cross my mind that it would be the person who supposedly loves him.”

“Love is weird,” Zayn says and Niall glares at him. “Not ours though, ours is perfect.” Zayn amends pulling Niall in so he can bury his head in Zayn’s chest, Zayn looks at Louis with wide eyes and Louis laughs.

“I don’t know what to do,” Louis sighs. “I’ve told Harry to leave him and he just keeps talking about how they love each other. I honestly don’t know what to do, or who to ask.”

Niall shrugs his shoulders, “Harry is stubborn.”

“I know,” Louis laughs. “I’m just scared that one day it’ll be too late.”

“No,” Niall says wide-eyed. “That isn’t going to happen, because we’re going to help him, right Zayn?”

“Definitely,” Zayn agrees.

Niall smiles, nuzzling even further into Zayn’s chest thinking for a moment, he then leans up quickly. “I know,” he says. “Harry’s mum, he’ll listen to her.”

“What?” Louis asks with furrowed brows. “You expect me to just go and break it to his mum that her son’s being abused?”

“Well, what else are we going to do?” Niall huffs.

Louis contemplates this for a moment before agreeing and writing down Anne’s address that Niall gives him, vowing to go and see her in the morning or if the abuse got worse.

That night, Harry makes the decision for him.

He comes knocking on the door of the flat at just after one in the morning, moments after Zayn and Niall have passed out on the sofa and Louis is just about to drift off as well. Louis stands up sleepily and answers the door rubbing his eyes.

Louis doesn’t even get the chance to say hello before his arms are full of a trembling Harry, who is mumbling against Louis’ chest. Louis wakes up right away and rubs Harry’s back soothingly whispering reassurances into his ear.

“You’re okay, darling,” he whispers. “I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry sobs, but Louis doesn’t even know why. He ignores it and just continues rubbing Harry’s back.

Eventually Harry pulls his head out of Louis’ chest, Louis looks at his tear stained face and brings his fingers up gently to wipe the tears from his eyes. His fingers gently touching the fading bruise surrounding his right eye.

“What happened?” Louis asks after a moment.

Harry shrugs his shoulders, “We were fine, everything was perfect,” Harry smiles. “I don’t know what I did wrong, we were having sex and I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t sucking his dick well enough or something.”

“I don’t know,” Louis says, wincing. “Not always your fault.”

“He pushed me off him and told me to fuck off. When I didn’t leave he crowded me into a corner, pushed me on the floor and kicked my stomach,” Harry frowns. “I thought we were okay.”

Louis pulls him back into his chest and runs his fingers through his hair. “You shouldn’t be dealing with this, you know,” he comments.

“Don’t start this, please,” Harry pleads. “I’ve told you, he loves me.”

“You know how I feel about it,” Louis says.

Louis feels Harry’s forehead wrinkle against his chest and he smiles slightly. “You know,” he begins, “it’s not that great for me to answer the door most nights to you hurt. I’m not always going to be able to save you, and that scares me.”

“Don’t be scared,” Harry says bringing his head out of Louis chest and running his hand down Louis cheek.

“Pretty hard not to be,” Louis replies, trying to smile.

Harry just brings Louis hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it.

Louis smiles sadly, “Everything would just be okay if you left him.”

“No,” Harry shakes his head sadly. “I wouldn’t be okay.”

“You’re not okay now,” Louis mutters running his fingers over the fading bruise.

Harry closes his eyes and enjoys the feel of Louis’ fingertips brushing his skin. “I’m more than okay,” he smiles. “I’m with you.”

Louis looks at him intently but Harry keeps his eyes closed as Louis continues to rub his finger lightly over Harry’s skin. Louis smiles and bites his lip, trying to contain the noise of joy threatening to escape his throat. He almost forgets why Harry is here, he almost forgets that Eric beats him, he almost forgets that Harry still claims to be in love with Eric and he almost forgets that him and Harry aren’t in a relationship.  _Almost_.

He makes the decision there and then, with one of his hands running down Harry’s cheek and the other curled around Harry own. He decides that tomorrow morning he will go down to Cheshire and pay a visit to Anne. 

**

“You stay here with Harry, make sure he doesn’t go home or anything today. If he asks where I am, tell him I’m in the library ‘cause I forgot I had to write an essay or something.” Louis whispers to Zayn and Niall as he stands in the doorway the next morning, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a beanie pulled down on his head.

He’d already checked the train times and there was one heading to Cheshire in around half an hour, Louis knew he’d be early but he’d rather be early than late.

He patted Zayn on the cheek and ruffled Niall’s hair before he headed out the door and walked toward the train station.

The journey wasn’t too long or boring, he had his headphones in listening to music for the majority of the journey. He’d also spent a great part of the journey attempting to beat Zayn’s high score on one of the games on his phone. He didn’t.

When he gets into Cheshire he gets a taxi to the address Niall gave him, once he steps out of the taxi and pays the man, he finds himself in front of a fairly large, posh looking house. He smirks to himself because Harry  _is_ a posh lad.

He checks his watch to see that it’s midday, he smiles to himself before walking up to the door and knocking loudly on it. He’s only standing there a few moments before a woman is poking her head around the door hesitantly.

“Hello?” she greets him confused.

Louis smiles at her, “Mrs. Cox?”

“It’s Twist now,” she grins looking at the rings on her finger that is still holding onto the door.

“Harry told me you got married, but he just didn’t say what your name was. He did tell me you went back to Cox after, well you know,” he smiles awkwardly, his hands twisting in the bottom of his t-shirt.

Anne nods her head, “Harry’s not here, if that’s what you want.”

“Well I should hope he’s not here, I’ve told Zayn and Niall to keep him from even thinking about returning home today, sorry.”

“What is it I can help you with then?” she asks, confused.

Louis rubs the back of his neck nervously. “Actually, I came to talk to you about Harry and Eric, if that’s okay.” He looks around nervously before gesturing inside, hoping he doesn’t sound too rude.

“Yes, of course,” she says opening the door wider so Louis can come inside.

Anne walks ahead of him in towards the kitchen and she flicks the switch on the kettle, she grabs two mugs from the cupboard. “Sugar?” she asks and Louis shakes his head. He settles himself sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar, watching Anne as she makes them tea.

“You wouldn’t mind grabbing the milk out of the fridge, would you?” she asks him and he smiles as he gets up.

He walks toward the fridge and sees it covered in pictures; Anne obviously sees him looking at the pictures and comes over to stand by him. “That’s from Christmas,” she says gesturing to the picture of Anne, Harry and two other people who Louis assumes to be Harry’s sister and Anne’s husband. “That’s the last time he visited, he doesn’t come home much anymore,” she says sadly.

Louis looks at the picture once more, noticing Harry’s wide grin and dimples, smiling to himself at how happy Harry looks before he opens the fridge and grabs the milk. He hands it to Anne and goes back to sit on the stool.

Once she’s finished, Anne sits in the next stool next to Louis and places his mug in front of him. “Cheers,” he says.

Anne smiles, “You’re here to talk about Harry and Eric?”

“Yeah,” Louis says nodding his head.

“They’ve been together for ages. Me and Nicola are just waiting to organise the wedding, to be honest,” she grins.

Louis grimaces and tries not to make his distaste at the thought clear on his face. “Nicola?” he questions taking a sip of his tea.

“Eric’s mum,” she confirms smiling. “We’ve been best friends for a while, met her at university and when I was pregnant with my second she was pregnant with her first. Eric and Harry were best friends since they were babies, it was so great when they said they were together.”

“Right,” Louis hums. “Makes sense.”

“They’re perfect for each other,” Anne smiles. “I’m glad Harry’s got someone like Eric.”

This time Louis can’t conceal his grimace, Anne notices. “Did I say something wrong?” she asks slight confusion in her voice.

“Little bit,” Louis sighs. “When I said I came to talk about Harry and Eric, it isn’t a good story.”

“What’s happened?” she questions with furrowed brows, subconsciously gripping her mug tighter in her hand.

Louis looks at his hands, which are gripped together, giant fist red marks appearing on his skin. Anne looks down at Louis hands and places her own on top of his. “I don’t know how to tell you,” he whispers.

“Harry is okay though, right?” she looks at him pleadingly.

“It depends how you define okay,” he admits.

Anne doesn’t say anything but looks at him worriedly.

“Would you say Eric is kind to your son?” Louis questions looking back up at Anne who looks slightly shocked.

“Of course,” she dismisses. “Harry wouldn’t be with him otherwise.”

Louis sighs rubbing his hands over his face. “Okay, what if Harry and Eric broke up?” he asks. “How do you think that would affect your and Nicola’s relationship?”

Anne shrugs her shoulders. “We’d get over it, I guess. I think so long as it didn’t end on bad terms, otherwise we’d probably just end up arguing over who was right and who was wrong.”

“You’d do anything for Harry though, right?” he says carefully.

“Obviously, if it came to it I would choose my son,” she confirms. “They haven’t broken up, have they? Harry would’ve told me.”

“No,” Louis shakes his head. “The thing is, they need to break up.”

“What?” Anne says looking at Louis with furrowed brows. “Why?”

Louis grabs Anne’s hand, which is placed on the table and squeezes it in his own. “I don’t think Harry is safe.”

“What do you mean?” she asks slowly.

“He’s my roommate and up until a few months ago I had barely spoken twenty words to him,” he admits. “He was never home, always staying over Eric’s, which I guess is normal.”

Anne nods her head.

“Then I spoke to him, and he was so shy and nervous to get everything right,” he continues. “One evening I came home to him in my bed because him and Eric had argued, pretty normal right? Every couple argues.”

Again, Anne nodded her head, not speaking but gripping Louis’ hand tighter.

“He kept coming to me after they argued, which was quite regularly,” he sighs. “He’d show up at our flat dead scared, then I started noticing bruises and scratches. Honestly, I thought he was hurting himself.”

Anne lets out a shaky breath bringing her hand up to cover her mouth, obviously already connecting the dots and figuring out what’s been happening.

“He wouldn’t tell me how he got the injuries, but I got it out of him in the end. Everyone always says Eric is a prick to your son,” he says looking at her apologetically. “Harry won’t do anything about it though, I keep begging him to leave Eric but he won’t. I’m scared, I’m really scared that I can’t always be there to save him.”

Anne brings her hand and rubs up and down Louis’ back where he is bent over the counter, his head in his hands. “Thank you,” she says, sniffling.

“For what?” Louis asks bring his head out of his hands and looking up at her once more.

“For telling me,” she says smiling slightly. “I would never have found out otherwise.”

He smiles, brushing her thank you off; he was just being a good friend. “I told Niall and Zayn last night—they’re Harry’s friends. We were trying to figure out how to convince him to leave and Niall said that he’d listen to you.”

“I hope so,” she says, nodding her head.

“He told me not to tell anyone,” Louis admits.

Anne grabs Louis hand again and squeezes it. “He won’t be mad at you, don’t worry.”

“I think he’s scared,” Louis whispers. “Scared of ruining yours and Nicola’s friendship and scared of what Eric will do if he says he wants out.”

“Eric won’t touch him,” Anne says fiercely.

“I seriously hope he doesn’t,” Louis agrees. “He’s already done enough damage.”

Anne takes a sip of her tea and looks at Louis to see him looking uncomfortable and still distressed. She puts her mug down and gets down from the stool before holding out her arms and pulling Louis in for a hug.

“We’ll fix it,” she murmurs into his hair. “Harry will be okay, thanks to you.”

Louis smiles against her shoulder, burying his face in her neck.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice,” she sighs after a moment.

Louis pulls away from her to look her in the eye. “It’s not your fault,” he stresses. “No one else noticed, either. Harry’s good at hiding things.”

She shakes her head and bites her lip, her eyes watering a little. “Can’t even imagine what it’s been like for him,” she whispers sadly. “Can’t imagine how lonely he’s felt. God I don’t even know how long it’s been going on.” She buries her face in her hand and breathes deeply for a few minutes while Louis runs his hand soothingly up and down her back.

“He’s not alone now,” he smiles.

“He’s lucky to have a friend like you,” she says bringing her face out of her hands and smiling at Louis widely.

Louis shakes his head grinning. “No,” he denies. “I’m lucky to have him.”

Anne smiles a knowing smile before grabbing their now empty mugs and putting them in the sink. She sighs slightly, leaving her weight against the counter and then she grabs the biscuits from the cupboard and walks back over to Louis.

“What’re we going to do then?” she asks offering him a biscuit, which is takes gladly.

“I’ve thought about it a lot,” he admits. “I think we could get him kicked out of university so then he won’t be close to Harry daily. The only thing is we’d have to get Harry to confirm it happening and speak against Eric, which right now, I don’t think he’ll do. But, I think maybe after he’s spoken to you he might agree.”

Anne nods her head, agreeing. “Perfect, I can do that,” she says. “What about getting him to break up with Eric? To be honest I don’t really want him getting hurt.”

“Zayn, Niall, Liam and myself could go there with him,” he contemplates. “Or, he could even come back to our flat and just ring him or something, then we know Eric is out and Harry is inside safe. But I don’t think Harry will break up over the phone,” he sighs.

“He’s too nice,” Anne agrees.

“I thought about getting the police involved. Abuse is a punishable offence, but again I don’t think Harry would want him arrested or anything.” Louis admits running his hands over his face, rubbing slightly at his tired eyes.

Anne leans over and places her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure something out,” she grins.

“Yeah,” Louis nods his head. “We’ll figure something out." 

Anne smiles and pulls him in again for another hug, smiling against his hair. Louis laughs slightly and wonders if giving good hugs is hereditary, because both Anne and Harry seem to have perfected it.

**

Louis often finds himself wondering if it is possible to fall in love with someone who you’ve never even kissed. But he decides when he gets home that day and Harry cuddles with him on the sofa while sharing a pack of Doritos and salsa dip that it must be true.

Harry gets a call on his phone almost three and a half hours after Louis gets home and it’s nearing ten o’clock at night. Louis gets butterflies in his stomach and he honestly hopes that it’s not Eric on the phone because he doesn’t think he can stand to see Harry hurt again.

Harry goes into his room to take the call and Louis hopes to God that it is Anne on the phone. He sits for what feels like two days but is more like two hours waiting in anticipation. He tries to watch the TV but his mind is somewhere else, his thoughts running at a mile a minute wondering whether Harry is truly annoyed at Louis. Louis went to his  _house_ , and told his mum and if that isn’t an invasion of privacy, Louis doesn’t know what is.

Louis groans as he lies back down on the sofa, bringing his hands up to cover his eyes. He desperately tries not to think about how Harry is probably crying on the phone to his mum, probably either apologising for not telling her or ignoring every word she is saying, claiming to be too in love with Eric to leave him.

He is brought out of his thoughts by the sound of the door opening and quiet footsteps walking back toward the sofa. Louis sits up hesitantly and looks over the back of the sofa, he sees Harry standing there, his phone clasped tightly in his hand and his eyes red, the evidence of tears still on his cheeks.

“You went to my house?” he whispers.

Louis nods his head hesitantly, bringing a pillow onto his lap and playing with the edge of it distractedly.

“You told my mum?” he says disbelievingly. “I can’t believe this.”

Louis looks up frantically. “I’m sorry,” he mutters nervously.

“You’re sorry?” Harry asks.

Louis shrugs his shoulders, not sure of what Harry wants him to say. He settles for going back to fiddling with the corner of the pillow so he doesn’t have to look at Harry.

He hears footsteps again and looks up to see Harry approaching him, when he gets to the front of the sofa Louis remains silent but watches Harry carefully. He watches how Harry lifts Louis’ legs up so that he can sit down before he places Louis’ legs back in his lap, and Louis counts this as progress—maybe Harry isn’t annoyed with him.

“It’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me,” Harry whispers stroking his hand up and down the bottom of Louis’ leg.

Louis looks away smiling, “Harry,” he whispers biting his lip.

“Honestly, I’m not joking, Lou,” he says seriously. “Mum was crying on the phone saying what nice friends I have.”

Louis looks up at him and moves up slightly so he can reach out and grab Harry’s hand in his own. He then brings it up to his mouth and kisses his palm, hoping that Harry understands what he means. “I’m sure she was crying for other reasons,” he murmurs against Harry’s skin.

“She cried a lot,” Harry admits. “Because of Eric and because of you, but Eric was sad tears and you were happy tears, don’t worry.”

Louis smiles kissing Harry’s palm again. “What did she say?”

“Loads of things,” he shrugs. “Mainly that Eric was an arse and I deserve better.”

“I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to tell her,” Louis admits frowning. “I was getting pretty desperate.”

Harry waves his hand shushing Louis. “I’m just really scared,” he admits.

Louis moves his legs off Harry’s lap and moves his body so he is settled right beside Harry. He opens his arms and pulls Harry down so that he is settled against his chest. “I’m here, don’t worry, darling,” he soothes. “You’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Harry says sniffling against Louis’ chest.

“Whatever you do, I’ll be here for you,” Louis whispers running his hand over Harry’s back. “Not leaving you, ever.”

Harry nods against his chest and sniffles again. “He loves me,” he mutters so quietly Louis barely catches it.

“There are a lot of people who love you,” Louis says. “He’s not the only one.”

“Maybe,” Harry mumbles. “But, he  _loves_  me, more than anyone else.”

“I don’t think so, darling,” Louis sighs. “He won’t be the only person to ever love you like that, you’ll be okay.”

“But,” Harry protests. Louis continues running his hand up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him. “No one else will want me.”

Louis kisses his hair; he places his hand under his chin and lifts Harry’s face up so he is looking in his eyes. “You’re so wrong,” Louis smiles.

“We’ve been together almost four years,” he says shaking his head. “I don’t know anything other than that.”

“Harry,” Louis sighs running his fingers through Harry’s hair. “I promise you, you will find someone to love you like he does, if not more than he does.”

“He loves me,” Harry repeats.

Louis sighs leaving the room in silence for a moment before he decides to speak, thinking over his words carefully so he doesn’t offend Harry. “He may love you, but you have to love yourself and to be honest the fact that you’re letting him abuse you tells me you don’t,” he says. “I’m not telling you that no one will ever love you unless you love yourself, because that’s not true. But what I’m saying is that you have to put yourself first. Love yourself before you even think about having other people love you,  _you_  are the most important thing, I promise you. If you don’t love yourself how do you expect to love someone else to the greatest of your ability?”

Harry shrugs his shoulders, looking at Louis carefully his green eyes sparkling in the dimly lit room.

“Do you know who is going to love you after Eric is gone?” Louis asks and Harry shrugs his shoulders again. “You,” Louis says poking Harry lightly in the chest.

Harry smiles before grabbing Louis’ finger tip in his hand and bringing it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on the tip. Harry decides then that he’ll deal with Eric in the morning, right now he’s happy to fall asleep happily next to Louis without having to worry about anything. 

**

“We’re just going to go in and out, okay?” Louis asks Harry, as they’re standing outside Eric, Niall and Liam’s flat. Niall, Zayn, Liam and Eric are already inside, Eric is only expecting Harry but Louis promised him he would come with him so that he would prevent him from getting hurt. “The guys are already there, you’re going to be fine,” he promises.

Harry looks at him doubtfully, then turns to the door and looks fearful, gripping Louis’ hand tighter in his own.

Louis smiles at him encouragingly before Harry knocks on the door quietly. A moment later they are greeted with the sight of Niall who is smiling at them but the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes like it usually does. He looks down to Harry who is shaking slightly and puts his arm around him murmuring things in his ear that Louis can’t hear.

The three of them walk together into the flat, Louis himself has never been in here before but it’s a lot like his own. There’s an area with a TV and sofa, a small kitchen and a hall leading off into the different rooms, though this flat looks significantly tidier than his own. He catches Zayn’s eye who is sat on the sofa playing FIFA and smiles nervously at him. Zayn looks up from the game to put his thumbs up to Louis, but grumbles when Liam scores a goal against him because of it.

“Harry,” a deep voice calls from the hall and Harry stiffens beside him. “Come and see me.”

Harry looks up at Louis nervously and Louis shakes his head, keeping his hold on Harry tight.

“Come out here a sec?” Harry asks his voice shaking slightly.

A few moments later Eric is walking out, huffing as he does. Louis narrows his eyes as Eric pushes his fringe out of his eyes and glares at Harry slightly when he sees that Harry’s hand is placed in Louis’.

“Louis, my favourite person,” he comments. “What are you doing here?”

“Trust me, I don’t want to be around you as much as you don’t want to be around me,” he scoffs. “But unlike  _some_  people, I’m actually supportive of those who mean a lot to me, so yeah, I am here for support.” He looks out of the corner of his eye to see Harry watching him carefully a slight smile on his face, Louis squeezes his hand in return.

“Harry,” Eric says angrily. “What the fuck is going on?”

Harry steps back slightly, eyes darting around the room. Zayn and Liam have paused their game and are now watching the scene hesitantly, with Niall perched on the arm of the sofa, Zayn’s arm wrapped protectively around his stomach.

“I, uh, my mum knows,” he stutters.

Eric narrows his eyes. “Knows what?” he spits stepping toward Harry who takes another step back.

“That… that, you know,” he says looking down to the floor.

“No, I don’t know, Harry,” Eric mutters. “Please do enlighten me.”

Harry tries to stutter out an answer but he can’t seem to get his words out so he looks over to Louis pleadingly.

Louis squeezes his hand tightly before turning to Eric and glaring. “She knows that you abuse him,” Louis hisses. “She knows that you’re a piece of shit who abuses their boyfriend.”

“What?” Eric says innocently, looking back and forth between Harry and Louis. “You told them I abuse you?”

Louis looks at him carefully before turning to Harry who is looking wide-eyed and close to tears. “Louis,” Harry whispers, a slight shake in his voice. “I promise you, I promise I’m telling the truth. Please, please,” he begs.

“I believe you, Haz, don’t worry,” he says holding his arms out and cuddling Harry to his chest, trying not to flinch when he hears the sniffles escaping the boy. “You’re fucking horrible,” Louis says glaring at Eric over Harry’s shoulder.

“How do you know he’s telling the truth?” Eric asks smirking slightly.

“I’ve seen the bruises,” he says icily. “And I trust him.”

Eric steps up toward the two of them and Niall, Liam and Zayn make to stand to get up. “Oh, I see,” Eric says looking around. “Turned them all against me have you,  _Haz_?”

Harry flinches and buries his head further into Louis’ chest. “No,” Liam speaks up. “I’ve hated you from day one, only reason I haven’t asked for you to be moved is so that I could keep an eye on Harry.”

“Seems you weren’t keeping a close enough eye on him, though, were you?” Eric mocks laughing slightly.

Niall makes a move toward Eric his eyes narrowed, fists balled and hate etched all over his face. Before he can walk anywhere Zayn holds his arm out and holds him back shaking his head.

Eric laughs slightly. “That’s it,” he mocks. “Don’t let the leprechaun get angry.”

“Fuck off,” Zayn snaps.

“Touched a soft spot, have I?” Eric grins. Harry shakes slightly against Louis chest and Louis runs his hand up and down his back soothing him. “I’ve always fucking hated the leprechaun.”

“Look, either you shut the fuck up or we get the police involved,” Louis threatens. “Did you know that abuse was an arrestable offence? I’m sure if we told the police of all the injuries you’ve given Harry you wouldn’t be laughing.”

Eric smiles widely looking at where Harry is still buried against Louis chest, his back facing Eric. “Oh, but Harry wouldn’t do that?” he asks coming forward to brush Harry’s back. Louis pulls Harry away quickly glaring at Eric and tries to ignore the whimper Harry lets out. “Harry wouldn’t do that to me, would you, babe?”

Harry shakes his head against Louis’ chest and Louis sighs. “Look, we just came to say you and Harry are finished, over, done, kaput, whatever you want to call it,” Louis says. “But, if you ever even touch him again you’ll be really fucking sorry, okay?”

“Got your little puppy defending you, babe?” Eric says, ignoring Louis.

Harry mumbles against Louis’ chest. “Sorry babe, I didn’t hear you,” Eric laughs.

“I said, don’t call me that,” Harry says, bringing his head out of Louis’ chest and glaring at Eric. He turns to face his body toward Eric, blocking Louis’ body and almost protecting him.

“You really want to leave me?” Eric tries. “Really? You know I love you, no one loves you like I do.”

Harry shakes his head, running his fingers lightly over the back of Louis’ hand and Louis smiles slightly. “No,” Harry says. “I deserve better.”

“You won’t find anyone like me, babe,” Eric smirks.

“Well, I bloody hope I won’t,” Harry says laughing coldly, Louis bites his lip to hold back a wide smile, he is just  _so_  proud of Harry.

Eric narrows his eyes, glaring at Louis before turning his attention back to Harry. “Babe,” he huffs. “We’re the best thing that ever happened to each other, remember?”

“No,” Harry shakes his head. “We were at one point, not any more.”

“You’ll be alone,” Eric almost shouts. “You won’t find anyone to put up with you like I did. Who are you going to have when I’m gone?”

Louis runs his hand over Harry’s back and glares daggers at Eric because he really is a prick. “My friends and family,” Harry decides.

“But who is going to love you?” Eric asks glancing pleadingly at Harry.

Harry turns back toward Louis and smiles despite the tears forming in his eyes, he stokes his finger lightly down Louis’ cheek nodding his head before turning back to Eric. “Me,” he says determinedly. “I am going to love me, and I’m going to love me a hell of a lot more than you ever did.”

“You did this,” Eric says, glaring at Louis.

“Actually,” Louis grins. “His mum was the one who convinced him in the end. Oh boy, I wonder if she is on the phone to your mum now just telling her what a delight she has for a son.”

Eric walks toward Louis angrily but Harry stands in his way, Liam, Niall and Zayn make their way over as well, standing by Harry. “All of you can fuck off,” Eric says stomping back towards his room, knocking and smashing a picture frame as he goes. “Pricks, the lot of you,” he shouts closing his door.

As soon as he hears the door close Harry’s body sags in relief, falling back into Louis’ chest. Louis wraps his arms tight around Harry’s waist pushing his face into Harry’s neck and breathing in his scent. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispers into Harry’s hair.

“Couldn’t have done it without you,” Harry says turning in Louis’ arms and smiling up at him.

“You didn’t need me,” Louis denies shaking his head. “That was all you, darling.”

"Always need you," Harry smiles blushing. He then buries his head in Louis’ neck laughing against his skin and kissing the spot between his neck and collar bone lightly. Louis shivers and hugs Harry closer to his chest, smiling and thanking the boys before they go back to playing FIFA.

“Lets go home,” Louis smiles.

Harry nods his head, holding out his hand for Louis to grab and Louis takes it willingly, walking off back towards  _their_  flat. 

**

The next two weeks are complete bliss for Louis. Harry has moved back into their flat and is practically sharing a room with Louis and Louis finds himself falling even more in love with the boy every single day. He knows he really shouldn’t, given the fact that Eric starting abusing Harry just before they started university—Harry told him three nights ago—and he’s only now just got out of the relationship.

Harry is his best friend, but that is all he is apparently and Louis can’t help but he disappointed.

For Louis, everything is perfect except that little detail, the little thing that prevents him from kissing Harry whenever he wants or taking him home to his parents house and introducing him as his boyfriend.

Currently, Harry was cuddled against him, drawing small patterns on his chest as they watched an episode of  _Breaking Bad_ and shared a pack of biscuits.

“Lou,” Harry whispers and Louis hums in acknowledgment. “Do you think I could live with you next year?” he asks hesitantly.

Louis smiles down at him and kisses the top of his head. “Of course,” he grins. “Me, you, Zayn, Niall and Liam, we’ll be unstoppable.”

“Thank you,” he smiles turning his head up so he was looking at Louis.

“No problem, Styles,” he says. He even prevents himself from letting out an embarrassing giggle when Harry takes his hand, which is settled against Harry’s chest, and brings it up to his mouth kissing the palm gently.

“Do you, uh, do you think I’m loveable?” Louis tries not to show his shock but he obviously fails when he sees Harry smile sadly and turn his head back to the TV. “Forget it, I’m being silly.”

Louis shakes his head slowly. “Not silly at all, darling,” he says stroking his hand over Harry’s. “You’re annoyingly lovable.”

Harry sits up, smiling slightly. “Do you want to kiss me?”

Louis can’t hide his shock this time and he looks at Harry with wide-eyes.

“It’s just, I’ve wanted to kiss you for ages but you haven’t like made a move or anything so I don’t know,” Harry says, uncertainly looking down at his hands.

“Darling,” he breathes, smiling. “You have no idea how much I want to kiss you.”

“Do it then,” Harry says looking up at him.

Louis moves closer to Harry and reaches out to grab his hand before placing a kiss on the back of his hand. “I want to, Harry. I  _really_  want to,” he smiles. “But, I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Harry asks furrowing his brows.

“You’ve only just got out of that thing with Eric, I don’t want to be a replacement,” he holds his hand up when he sees Harry is about to interrupt. “Harry, I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do because you’re lonely.”

Harry shakes his head. “No, that’s not true at all,” he tells Louis. “Please, I really want to kiss you and I’ve wanted to for the past month or so.”

Louis sighs before smiling widely and leaning his head in, closer to Harry’s, Harry leans his head in as well and they meet in the middle, resting their foreheads against each other for a moment.

“You’re brilliant, you know that?” Louis whispers, closing his eyes.

“Not as great as you,” Harry smiles.

They both lean in and their lips touch, Harry curls his hand around Louis’ neck drawing him in. They kiss each other slowly for a moment and Louis smiles against Harry’s lips when Harry bites his bottom lip. Louis brings his hands up and runs them through Harry’s hair deepening the kiss, Harry moves carefully so that he is straddling Louis’ lap.

Louis smiles and wraps his arms tightly around Harry’s waist squeezing him tighter to Louis’ body. Harry smiles and chuckles against Louis’ lips before pecking them twice more. He moves back and Harry’s eyes are shining and Louis can’t help but lean back in and kiss him again. Harry smiles, pressing their bodies as close as they can together before stroking his fingers through the hair at the nap of Louis’ neck.

Harry grinds his hips slightly against Louis’ lap and Louis is not even embarrassed by the loud moan he lets out. “Fuck, Harry,” he mumbles against his lips.

Smiling, Harry leans back in and deepens the kiss, grinning when Louis moves his hands onto Harry’s hips urging him to grind his body again.

“Bedroom?” Harry questions, his breath falling on Louis’ lips so gently that Louis almost forgets who he is.

Louis nods his head quickly and Harry stands up. Louis grabs his hand before he can move and smiles. He leans down and wraps his hands around the backs of Harry’s thighs before lifting him up. Harry catches on and wraps his legs tightly around Louis’ waist before leaning in again to nip at Louis’ lips. “You’re so bloody hot,” Harry whispers.

“Says you,” Louis grins. He begins walking toward the hall and into his bedroom, though it is particularly difficult to navigate his way through the flat with Harry in his arms kissing his lips like his life depends on it.

“Wanted this for so long,” Harry sighs.

Louis smiles and nips his bottom lip gently before Harry moves his head down and begins pressing open kisses against Louis’ neck. Louis moans loudly before he pushes Harry into his slightly open door and pushes him onto the bed.

Louis climbs onto of where Harry is lying down on the bed. “You’re wearing way too many clothes, darling,” he smiles. After leaning down to kiss Harry’s lips once more, he moves away enough to take his top off.

Grinning, Harry moves to take his top off as well, he leans up and kisses Louis’ chest once Louis has got his top off. “Fuck,” he breathes. “Your tattoos.”

“ _Your_  tattoos,” Louis smiles bending down to kiss the butterfly placed on Harry’s chest.

Louis pushes Harry back down so he is lying down with his back flat against the bed before leaning down over him, his body directly on top of Harry’s.

“Hi,” he smiles.

“Hi,” Harry grins pressing an open kiss to Louis’ neck.

Louis puts his finger under Harry’s chin and pulls him away from Louis’ neck. He turns his head so that they are staring directly at each other for a moment before Louis leans down and kisses him again, intertwining their hands that are settled against the mattress.

They stay like that, kissing against the bed shirtless for a while before Louis makes a move to undo Harry’s jeans and take them off.

He smiles as he unbuttons the jeans and pulls them down Harry’s thighs, he looks up at Harry smiling, but his smile leave his face when he sees Harry looking panicked. He moves back up and kisses him once more. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he says against Harry’s lips.

Harry shakes his head. “Want this,” he mumbles. “Please.”

Nodding hesitantly, Louis takes Harry’s jeans off fully before standing up from the bed to take off his own jeans. He lies back down on his side facing Harry and begins to start tracing patterns onto Harry’s chest. Harry looks over to him and smiles hesitantly.

“We can just keep kissing if you want?” Louis suggests. “If you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to do anything.”

Harry sighs bringing his hands up to cover his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he breathes shakily. “I’m so stupid.”

Louis frowns and moves his body up to take Harry’s hands into his own and move them away from his face, he kisses the frown on Harry’s face. “You’re not stupid,” he smiles. “It’s fine, don’t worry.”

Harry smiles and strokes his fingers lightly over Louis’ hands, which are still holding his tightly. “It’s a bit silly, isn’t it?” he asks laughing.

“Not at all,” Louis says giggling.

“Just want to keep kissing you for a bit, is that okay?” Harry questions bringing one of Louis’ fingers up to his mouth and kissing it.

“More than okay,” Louis says nodding his head. “We have all the time in the world for sex, doesn’t have to be tonight if you don’t want to.”

Harry smiles widely and kisses the corner of Louis’ mouth. “Thank you,” he smiles.

“Yeah, yeah,” Louis says. “Just kiss me.” Louis moves and settles them so they’re lying against the bed, Louis on his back and Harry lying with his head settled against Louis’ shoulder and that arm of Louis’ curled around Harry, running through his curls.

Nodding his head, Harry smiles moving slightly to connect their lips once more, they kiss lazily for the rest of the night before Harry yawns and falls asleep not long after that.

Before falling asleep Louis looks at the boy in his arms and smiles, biting his lip and ignoring the feeling erupting in his stomach. He kisses Harry’s forehead once before turning his face towards Harry and falling asleep. 

**

“Louis, Lou, please wake up.” Louis wakes up due to a panicked voice whispering in his ear and a hand nudging against his shoulder.

He looks up to see Harry leaning over the bed, tears in his eyes and his hands shaking. Louis quickly moves toward Harry and takes his hands in his own attempting to stop the shaking. “What’s the matter, darling?”

“He’s here, Lou—I can’t, I don’t know what to do,” Harry says shakily.

Louis gets up faster than he’s ever gotten up in his life. He storms out of the room and bangs on Zayn’s door where he knows Zayn and Niall are sleeping on his way into the lounge.

He moves toward the front door and opens the door slightly before Eric storms his way into the flat. Eric glares at Louis when he sees him and pushes him; Louis looks at him shocked but barely has any time to react because Zayn is rushing his way in a pushing Eric out of the way. Louis looks to the entrance to the hallway to see Harry standing there shaking with Niall’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, Niall yawning slightly and he pulls Harry closer to him.

“Fuck off, Eric,” Louis spits. “No one wants you here.”

Eric shakes his head laughing; he points his finger past Louis to where Harry is standing and Harry lets out a shaky breath, burying his head further into Niall’s neck. “He does, look at him,” he says. “He fucking loves me, you can’t take that away from me.”

“No,” Louis mutters shaking his head. “He’s just scared of you, you’re an arse, now please leave my flat.”

“Not without Harry,” Eric says, standing his ground.

Louis narrows his eyes, pointing toward the door angrily. “He’s not fucking coming with you,” he hisses. “You don’t deserve him, you don’t even deserve anything close to him. He’s amazing and you’re just a prick who abuses their boyfriend. Now leave before I call the fucking police.”

Eric moves quickly before Louis even has time to register what’s going on. He races toward Harry and grabs him from Niall, holding him close and whispering in his ear, Louis glares as he moves to press a kiss against Harry’s cheek. Harry looks pleadingly at Louis and whimpers slightly, Louis looks to see the deathly grip Eric has on Harry’s arm.

Louis looks over to Zayn and nods his head, they both walk over and pull Eric from Harry, and Zayn pushes him away. Louis is somewhat disappointed that Zayn didn’t punch him, but he forgets this when he looks at Harry who’s got tears streaming down his face, clutching his arm where Eric grabbed him.

“Go and wait in my room,” Louis whispers in his ear. Harry looks up at him with pleading eyes shaking his head slightly. “Please, Harry. I’ll be there now, please.”

Harry nods reluctantly and walks toward Louis room, looking back at Louis with a small smile before shutting the door.

“I’m going to tell you one last time,” he says deadly calm turning back to glare at Eric. “You either leave here and make sure that Harry never sees your face again or I call the police.”

“He needs me,” Eric mutters.

“No, you’re wrong,” he tells Eric. “That boy deserves the sun, the moon, everything, yet all you showed him was abuse. If he  _needs_  anything, I can assure you that it is most definitely not you.”

Eric huffs moving aware from where Zayn is standing close to him glaring. “You got me kicked out of university,” he says harshly.

“You abused your boyfriend,” Louis counters.

“But,” Eric whines, “you got me kicked out of university.”

“Do I honestly look like I give a shit?” Louis barks. “You got off lightly. Now if you could kindly remove yourself from my flat that would be great.”

“He’s not going to be with you forever, you know,” Eric smirks. “One day, he’ll get bored and come back to me.”

Louis laughs loudly, clutching his chest. “I highly doubt that, mate,” he says. “But we’ll see, won’t we? Now remove yourself from my flat or the police can remove you in handcuffs.”

Eric huffs once more before he glares at Louis and turns around harshly stomping out of the flat and slamming the door loudly.

Louis looks over to Zayn and breathes out a breath of relief. “Thanks, mate,” he says walking over to pat Zayn on the back.

Zayn waves him off and walks over to Niall, wrapping him arms around the boy and kissing his cheek. “No problem,” he smiles. “Now go on, go back to your boyfriend.”

“Fuck off, Malik,” Louis says rolling his eyes.

“Just, take care of him, yeah?” Niall says, smiling at Louis and linking his and Zayn’s fingers together.

“Of course,” he laughs, ruffling Niall’s hair before heading off back into his bedroom.

Almost as soon as he opens the door Harry dives into his arms, his body shaking slightly. “God,” Harry breathes against his neck. “I thought he was going to hurt you.”

“Him, hurt me?” he asks smiling. “Never, darling.”

He kisses the top of Harry’s head and leads them both back over the to the bed, Louis lies down first and allows Harry to settle in his arms. “You know,” Harry says once they’re settled. “I never thanked you from my mum.”

“You don’t need to,” Louis smiles running his fingers through Harry’s hair.

“Do you fancy coming to visit my mum with me next weekend?” Harry asks looking up at Louis.

Louis smiles, planting a gentle kiss on Harry’s cheek. “I’d love to,” he whispers.

“I want to introduce her to my boyfriend, formally.”

“Yeah?” Louis breathes smiling.

Harry leans up and places a chaste kiss on Louis’ lips. “Yeah.”

Louis smiles and grabs Harry’s hand in his own linking their fingers together and bringing them up to his mouth. He kisses the back of Harry’s hand and smiles against his skin. “I’d quite like to introduce you to my family,” he says. “That can be a bit daunting, but they’ll love you.”

“I hope so,” Harry smiles.

“They will,” Louis whispers. “Because I do.”

Harry looks up at him with wide-eyes and a blinding smile, he bites his lip in between his teeth. “Yeah?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Louis says nodding his head. “It’s okay, if you don’t like feel the same or anything. I just hope that one day you will.”

“I think I do,” Harry says kissing the corner of Louis’ mouth.

“You do?” Louis asks disbelievingly.

Harry nods his head. “Yeah, I think so.”

Louis angles his head down and connects their lips, smiling widely against Harry’s lips, Harry moves his body on top of Louis’. Louis brings his hands up around Harry’s body and cuddles him closer. 

“You’re brilliant,” Harry whispers against his lips.

“I know,” Louis smiles.

Harry laughs and grabs a pillow to shove in Louis’ face. “Arse,” he mutters.

He rolls off Louis and onto the bed, closing his eyes and cuddling close to Louis, Louis smiles before reaching out his arm and pulling Harry closer to him. “Love you,” he whispers kissing the side of Harry’s face by his ear.

“Love you,” Harry smiles opening his eyelid slightly peeking up at Louis. Louis grins and leans over to kiss him once more before falling back against the bed and closing his eyes. He smiles widely and turns his head to bury into the pillow beside him to try and stop himself smiling so much. He turns his head and leans down to kiss the side of Harry’s cheek and he keeps kissing him all over his face before Harry pushes him away weakly.

“Sleep,” Harry mumbles burying his face back into Louis’ chest.

Louis kisses the top of his head and closes his eyes, listening to Harry and falling to a brilliant sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> The scene where Harry leaves Eric is somewhat inspired by the Glee episode where Coach Beiste leaves her husband, which I honestly thought was a brilliant and really well handled storyline, hopefully you'll think the same with this plot.
> 
> Feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated.


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